Teens’ daily diets low on Bible reading

Although ranking third in a recent National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) poll, only 39 percent of all Southern Baptist teenagers read the Bible “once a week or more.”
   
Also, only 32 percent of all teenagers in any Protestant Christian denomination claimed to read the Bible once a week or more.
   
These findings suggest that only a minority of U.S. teens are getting much practice at faith in the form of Scripture reading.
   
However, among Southern Baptist teenagers who attend church “regularly,” 48 percent said they read the Bible once a week or more.
   
Only 26 percent of all United States teenagers, regardless of denomination, said they read the Bible once a week or more.
   
Greg Davis, the executive director for First Priority of Alabama, said he was encouraged to see higher numbers from some of the denominations, but he said, “My heart goes out to the 68 percent of Protestant teens and 74 percent of all teens who we as leaders have not yet influenced to value the impact the Word of God can have in their lives.”
   
Davis also said teenagers will have to learn the importance of reading Scripture in order to spiritually grow.
   
“We as youth leaders and parents must teach and model the importance of the Word of God to our kids. It has never been more important in the life of our country than now to raise a generation that understands and lives out biblical principles.”
   
The study suggested that Christian Protestant teenagers whose parents are considered conservative read the Bible more than those who have what are considered liberal parents. Also, black Protestant teens are more likely to read the Bible than white teens.
   
The Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ denominations had the highest number of teenagers who said they read the Bible once a week or more with 44 and 48 percent respectively. The Episcopalian denomination had the lowest number of teens with 8 percent who said they read the Bible once a week or more.
   
Jeremy Witt, minister for students at Opp First Baptist Church, Covington Association, said he believes the numbers in the study are correct, and he said, “We have a problem in the Southeast especially because we are having religion and not a relationship.
   
“Our culture has become so desensitized to God, and the parents are not demonstrating that He is the top priority in their lives. We have let sports, work and vacations be the number one priority in our lives, and if mom and dad don’t go home and read the Bible in the first place in the home, how can you expect the kids to do the same?”
   
Marland Hayes, minister to students and recreation for McElwain Baptist Church in Birmingham Association, said he was surprised that the numbers of students who read the Bible once a week or more was “that high.”
   
“I, personally, am on a mission to equip my students to break the cycle of not reading the Bible,” he said. “We are providing devotion books and anything to equip and train them to read the Bible.”
   
Hayes said it is the responsibility of leaders to instill the value of reading God’s Word, but he also said it is important to get teens to share what they are learning from the Bible.
   
“As leaders, we need to share what we are learning, and the kids can share what they have learned in God’s Word,” he said. “A couple of children have called me to share what they discovered in the Bible or what God has been doing in their lives.
   
“We have to show the students how relative the Bible is to their daily lives.”