“Many churches are hurting with the loss of their sons and daughters.”

This was a key conclusion from State of the Church 2023.

What were the factors that caused the flow of youths between churches, or worse, caused some to fall out of church entirely? More importantly, what can church leaders do to ensure the spiritual growth and impact of the next-generation Church?

State of the Church in Singapore 2023

“Unlike the 2022 study, which sought to objectively capture the reality of church health across Singapore, this year’s State of the Church 2023 researchers wanted to go deeper into why some churches are doing better than others, especially among young adults,” said Salt&Light editor Edric Sng.

“Hence, 12 churches known for their growth in this demographic were handpicked for this series of conversations.

“There are so many positive lessons to glean and best practices to emulate, be it in the realm of preaching, spirituality, evangelism, building community, or engaging the generations.”

The following is one response to the 2023 report by Dr Kwa Kiem Kiok, a lecturer in Missiology and Integrative Studies and a member of the State of the Church in Singapore research team.

Church leaders are always looking for the church growth “magic bullet”, that formula which will draw people into our churches.

Hence this report is a welcome analysis of the Singapore church and the post-pandemic growth patterns of the 18-to-35 age group. The emphasis on young adults arises because they are mobile and fluid, able to go to whichever church strikes their fancy.

There is no magic in bringing young adults into the church. Preach the Word, for therein are the words of life, and enable them to be involved in the church community, in some form of small group.

While probably all churches will claim to have these, it is the perception of what is “preaching”, and the dynamics of the small group which will determine whether young adults will stay in that church.

This is their world and their context, and they can best guide and lead the church to live out missionally today. May young adults be instruments for the continued growth of the church.

As a local preacher myself, I suggest that we encourage a broad definition of “preaching” the Word as that which leads to life growth and change, and not merely whether it is going through a Bible book or is topical.

And while joining a small group is relatively easy, these groups must not be mere social clubs but safe places where the hard questions of discipleship can be brought up.

Staring down stagnation 

The Church in Singapore grew as a percentage of the national population from 18.3% in 2010 to 18.9% in 2020, and it remains to be seen whether that rate of growth can be sustained in this current decade, or whether the church will stagnate.

While we should continue to seek and save the lost, it is also time for the church to intentionally seek to grow in depth and maturity.

This report must propel us to ask further questions, especially about the roles and contributions of young adults, because they intuitively understand the current milieu.

The easiest way of measuring growth is in numbers, but our understanding of “growth” must be broader.

While these young adults are involved in the life of the community through small groups, are they also being discipled into leadership?

We recognise that at this stage of life, with marriage and starting families as well as climbing the career ladder, young adults are juggling many balls in life. Still, some will also have the energy to contribute to shape the life of the church, and they should be invited and encouraged to do so.

Including young adults in leadership now is necessary.

Growth should also include a more missional focus.

It can be easy to rely on growth by attracting the same kinds of people, or using ready-made tools on the market like Alpha or Christianity Explored.

At this stage of the maturity of the Singapore church, as this segment take their place in the church, they can help address questions such as how Christians can relate lovingly with our non-Christian neighbours, and how the church can be good stewards of the earth.

This is their world and their context, and they can best guide and lead the church to live out missionally today.

May young adults be instruments for the continued growth of the church.

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“Many churches are hurting with the loss of their sons and daughters”: State of the Church 2023

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