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Spotlight [10] is a podcast feature series that highlights sound storytelling through fiction, non-fiction and comedy productions. Learn more about the world around you, or dive into a new reality built on sound storytelling.
Welcome to Spotlight 10. We share our favorite stories with you, spreading the full range of fiction, non fiction, and comedy. Learn more about the world around you or dive into a new reality built on sound storytelling. Each of these feature episodes has been crafted by a different host with a different style. Let's jump into this week's episode.
Speaker 2:Many people grow up wanting to follow in the footsteps of their parents. For some, this means going to the same schools, pursuing the same degrees, or even fulfilling their parents' dreams. But when it comes to religion and faith, the footsteps become harder to see and more difficult to follow. Some begin to stray and walk their own path, while others join a different one, stepping away from their family's trail altogether. Religions offer certain sets of beliefs, practices, texts, and morals intended to be observed and lived out.
Speaker 2:The challenge lies with balancing a season of change in life and the consistency or commitment to practicing those values. The two paths are diverging now more than ever, especially among young adults ages 18 to 24. A study published in 2025 by Pew Research notes that only twenty five percent of young adults attend church at least monthly. Among this age group, forty six percent identify as Christians, whereas eighty percent of individuals aged 75 and older identify with the faith. The difference comes from the way in which they view their faith and how they apply it to their lives.
Speaker 2:Robin Langford, a Crew Ministry staff member, acknowledges the changes of interactions in this younger group.
Speaker 3:So I have served on big 10 college campuses for over thirty years, close to thirty five years, working with college students and working as a spiritual leader or mentor. In that time, I've seen three distinct generations of students. You can see differences interact with spirituality, in the way that they believe in God, the way that it plays out in their lives. It often softens from real extreme things to just a more of a nuanced understanding as they graduate.
Speaker 2:Most individuals within the young adult age range are pursuing higher education or entering the workforce. In a survey of this age group done by LifeWay Research, forty seven percent said that moving to college played a role in their absence from the church. However, this does not mean that there is any less curiosity surrounding the discussion of spiritual topics.
Speaker 3:I think there are always students who are interested in spiritual things. And, honestly, I think it's growing even more than I have seen it grow in probably fifteen years.
Speaker 2:Of those who are pursuing religious interests, the understanding of what it means to practice faith has shifted. As this generation's young adults begin to navigate a new environment, they start to assess how their beliefs and values fit into the changing world around them. Rather than viewing the faith as a set of beliefs to follow, there is more focus on how young adults practice and integrate biblical truths into their lives.
Speaker 3:So I would say a practicing Christian is someone who is on that journey of figuring out how to be authentic and truthful in his or her life in all areas of life. That this isn't something that's just relegated to one realm, one area of life. Like church on Sundays, I do this. But now this is my whole life, and how does this apply to my whole life?
Speaker 2:In other words, those who don't apply the teachings are less likely to identify themselves with the faith than in previous years. This has to do with understanding what is socially acceptable and how standards have transformed over the years. This demographic of associating with the faith because it was culturally appropriate or stemmed from a lack of understanding is known as cultural Christians. Robin notes that this category has been disappearing throughout the years as culture changes and starts to be more accepting of newer ideas and belief systems.
Speaker 3:I think what we're seeing today versus twenty years ago, thirty years ago, is we don't have the cultural Christians that we used to have both in our campus ministries and in churches. I would say today, 70% of the students involved with the crew want to be there. They want to grow in their faith. I would say 20% of the students who come are what I would call seekers. They wouldn't identify as practicing Christians, but they want to know more, and they like the community.
Speaker 3:And then there's probably 10% who are just culturally, yeah, my my friends are here, and, yeah, I'm a Christian because I went to church. They don't have any real sense of what that means. They may or may not be interested and want to know. That is very different from what we would have seen ten, fifteen, twenty years ago, probably 50% who were there at the meetings, at churches, just because it was the thing to do.
Speaker 2:Some factors play into the role of young adults dismissing or falling out of practice. A busy life and inaccessibility to resources may lead some to stray from regular spiritual or religious practices. According to Brookings and the New York Times, now more than ever, young adults are less likely to have access to a vehicle in their homes than older age groups. Unfortunately, for those who do have access to those devices, a fair share of urban universities have restrictions or bans on freshmen bringing a car on campus. Nyla, the Michigan State University sophomore, adds a personal anecdote.
Speaker 4:I did have a car on campus, so that made it a lot easier to go to places that I needed to go, which I'm so grateful for. And because of my car, I was able to help provide for others that didn't have a car. I I've known a few different people that didn't and they really struggled to feel like they could go anywhere. They felt very trapped on campus. But I know that if I didn't have a car my freshman year, I would have felt so stuck.
Speaker 4:And because of the the community that I chose to be with last year, if it wasn't for my car, I would have no spiritual connection last year because the only connection I had was church.
Speaker 2:These restrictions can pose a challenge to those who wish to uphold their practices and decrease the likelihood of accessing places of worship, particularly in spaces with limited public transportation. It creates an environment where one feels as though their freedom to explore is limited. In these scenarios, several on campus organizations connect students with local resources so that individuals may participate in practices or worship.
Speaker 3:It has never occurred to us not to offer rides to people because we know that not everyone has a car. And so we want to be able to get people places, so, of course, we're going to offer to bring them. If something is important to us as an organization, we want to get people there, so we'll do what we need to do.
Speaker 2:As young individuals mature and gain real world experience, many become aware of the tension and conflicts between the ideals of religions and those in the current world. For example, results of a study discussed in The Baptist Courier state that twenty five percent of those who stopped attending services related it to a disagreement with the church's stance on key issues. While morals were typically founded within religious teachings in previous years, the increased discussion and sharing of newer societal ideals may have started to shape values. The idealistic individual's mindset separates believers. The key ideas formed from social values today could be a fundamental reason that people are leaving.
Speaker 2:Within the Christian community, some churches may have a harsher stance on certain issues. Rather than abandoning the faith, finding a new church could be the answer. But it is up to the individual to weigh what they believe is right and what their religious text instructs.
Speaker 3:I think that people come in today to the college campus with much stronger, much more fully formed opinions than they did thirty years ago, and they also have more options. And Americans are so individualistic, you know. I mean, think of all the ads for fast food. You know? Get it your way.
Speaker 3:Do it the way you want. Everything is catered to us. And so when we go into a space that is not catered to us, we feel a little attacked. Right? It's like, you know, we we have our opinions.
Speaker 3:And there's nothing wrong with opinions and preferences, but I think what what is happening now in the church is people don't like something. And instead of viewing it sort of in a neutral way, like, what I wonder why this practice is the way it is. Why do they do this in the church? And learning and saying, well, maybe this is something that I actually should participate in. Instead of of doing that, they just say, I don't like this.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna go to another church. So you're not learning and growing from each other because we're not worshiping with each other, with people who are different from ourselves like we used to.
Speaker 2:The footsteps imprinted in a straight and familiar path are no longer being traced by young adults. But a change in foot placement doesn't mean a loss in direction. It indicates the redefinition of the path. Young people today are curious and open, intentionally engaging with spirituality. They seek something interactive and tangibly applicable to their lives.
Speaker 2:As societal and cultural values continue to shift, more change is expected in the generation's spiritual walks. The journey is distinct to the individual and centers on discovering how to walk through life with understanding and intention. Whether that is pursuing something familiar or forging a new path, the longing for connection continues. This feature was written and produced by Jocelyn Sartor. Special thank you to Robin Langford for sharing her insight over the years of serving in ministry and to Nyla White for giving her perspective and personal testimony.
Speaker 1:Like what you hear? Rate us on Spotify, give us a like, and follow Audio Video Land on Instagram where you can find more Spotlight 10 updates, teasers, and behind the scenes content. Spotlight 10 is an audio video land production by digital storytelling students of Michigan State University in collaboration with Impact eighty nine FM.