What About the Other 73%

I’ve heard the narrative for years that most who come to faith in Christ do so by the age of 20. One respected organization reports that unbelieving adults, 19 and over, have just a 6% probability of ever becoming Christians. This has led to a plethora of activity by churches and parachurch organizations to reach those in grade school, high school, and college before it’s too late. While this is good, it raises a question: with 80% of all evangelistic training, effort, and resources being directed toward this demographic, is it simply a self-fulfilling prophecy that is validated by its practice?

27% of the United States’ population is college-age and under, while 73% is over the age of 22. This means that 73% of our lives will be spent living and engaging with those who have only a 6% chance of coming to Jesus. Does this sound right?

Jesus’ most well-known encounters…Nicodemus, Zaccheus, the woman at the well, the rich young ruler…were all adults. As the movement of God unfolds in the Book of Acts, there is no mention of children or youth. Jesus commissioned His adult followers in Acts 1:8 to carry the good news to every corner of the earth, and when the starting bell sounded, 3,000 became followers of Jesus: adults.

The Apostle Paul’s first stop on his missionary journeys (Acts 13-19) was usually the local synagogue, where he’d reason with adults from the Old Testament Scriptures. The result of his discipling new adult followers of Jesus for two years in the city of Ephesus (Acts 19) was that all of Asia heard the gospel. I guess he wasn’t aware of the 73% rule.

There’s no question the younger generation is more impressionable and easily influenced. They’re wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of optimism and hope. That’s why every effort should be made to reach this critical age.

But something happens when they move beyond the educational years: they’re confronted with the harsh realities of life. Work, career, finances, marriage, and parenting take them places they’ve never been. The stress of divorce, child-rearing, relational breakdowns, career disappointment, and financial pressure drains them of optimism and hope. They need help, and are more open than ever to hearing about Jesus!

Or it’s just the opposite: life is great! Everything they touch turns to gold, the family is good, and things continue to trend up and to the right. But when the lights dim, they’re lonely, empty, and live with a hole in their soul. They need help and are more open than ever to hearing about Jesus!  

But there’s a problem: they're in the wrong demographic. They’re around the 73% of Christians who are being told to share their faith but seldom envisioned or equipped to engage in meaningful Jesus conversations. They may get an invite to church, but probably won’t go because they’re just not church people.  

It’s time for the narrative to change. It’s time to stop letting self-fulfilling statistics erode the heart of God and govern our behavior. It’s time we’re influenced by the example and narrative of the Scriptures rather than the culture:   

• God so loved the world that He gave His Son so no one would perish…John 3:16

• God desires every person to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth… I Timothy 2:4

• God does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance…2 Peter 3:9

God doesn’t stop loving the billions on our planet once they reach 22. God doesn’t stop drawing, convicting, and saving people once they’ve moved beyond their educational years. God doesn’t want His followers to spend 73% of their lives disengaged from the very thing that brought Him from heaven to earth.  

God’s heart is that every one of His followers, including the other 73%, be envisioned, equipped, and empowered to join Him in His epic quest of redeeming and restoring those He loves.

Let's change the narrative—and change the world!