Have always been significantly concerned about the drop-out rate of our twenty-somethings, but became seriously concerned almost three years ago when we began an in-depth study of how we, as a district, might better serve, resource, and network with our Arkansas Assemblies of God.

So, am reading almost everything I can get my hands on regarding this subject, including David Kinnaman's book You Lost Me, based on research by The Barna Group.

The intel and info we were getting made the question hit me like a ton of bricks: "Are we losing them, or did we really never have them?" "Are they lost to, or lost in our families and churches?"

An adroit person with years of research and experience in the field of Evangelism/Discipleship made an interesting observation about our Assemblies of God. He said something like, "When it comes to building better disciple, the Assemblies of God are doing a better job than most all others. However, that is something like bragging about being the tallest Pygmy".

With more than half of all Christian teens and twenty somethings leaving active involvement in church, whether they are Nomads, Prodigals or Exiles (to use Kinnaman's terms), we must:
      1. Determine if we have lost them or just never had them.
      2. Develop a better strategy for prevention & retention; gaining & maintaining.

Because these Mosaics are, well, so mosaic, we felt that it would be difficult to place them in either Adult Discipleship Ministries or Student Discipleship Ministries. So, in our proposed departmental restructure plan we would offer a special slot, with both departments playing a major role in ministering to them.

Please let me hear from you on these two questions.

1. Have we lost them or did we really never have them? Are they lost in or lost to our churches? (not an attempt to resurface the Armenian/Calvinism debate).
2. What are some of the things you are having success with in gaining and maintaining Mosaics?
Thanks.