As I have pointed out in the first two parts of this series, teenagers today are the most unreached people for Christ in the nation. Our interviews with hundreds of young people across the United States shows fewer than 10 percent of them have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Throughout the course of these interviews we learned much about the fears of our youths.

There are two basic reasons churches today do not reach youths. The first reason is that they simply do not try to reach young people with the gospel. There is no intentionality. The second reason is that many leaders and laypersons do not understand the youths. It is my prayer that this brief background will help you understand teens better and thus have a greater passion to reach them.

In this article, I conclude our survey of the 10 greatest fears of our young people. I have taken the top ten fears in reverse order. In this final of three articles, I will share fears three through one.

Fear # 3: "I will not be able to make it financially."

When my three sons were still living at home, I asked my oldest son, Sam, to tell me some of his greatest fears or worries. The worry he immediately mentioned was the ability to make it financially once he got on his own.

That response surprised me. My boys had been raised in a middle-class home where they were rarely deprived materially. Though their complete wish list was probably not fulfilled, I cannot say the any of my sons were lacking in their material needs. Where did he find this fear?

"Dad," my son responded, "there are no guarantees out in the world. A college degree does not mean that you'll get a good job. And if you get a good job, you may not get to keep it."

Sam's words were representative of many of the youths we interviewed. Over the course of several months of focus groups and interviews, we discovered the vast majority of those to whom we spoke fit one of the following situations:

• One of their parents was presently and involuntarily unemployed.
• One of their parents worked in a manufacturing or other blue-collar position where the workforce was being trimmed significantly.
• One of their parents held a middle-management position where downsizing was taking place.
• They had close friends who fit well any one of the above scenarios.

Teenagers are clearly worried about their economic future. Even those in financially comfortable homes today are concerned that they will be able to have such a lifestyle when they reach adulthood. This younger generation may live in a material world, but they doubt their own ability to continue in that world in the near future.

Fear # 2: "I can't get a good education."

Researchers speak with unanimity about teenagers' view of the value of education. Three-fourths of the youths of today fear that they will not get a good education. Many fear that they cannot get into college and, if they can, they worry about how they will finance their education. And over half of the young people today worry about taking the ACT or SAT exam.

Why are teens worried about a good education? This fear ties directly to the previous fear. A good education, the youths believe, will lead to a good job which will provide a good income. In other words, the fear is primarily financial.

The youths of today are realists about the economic value of a college degree. They believe the degree is the ticket out of poverty or financial mediocrity. Over 80 percent of the teens say that they intend to go to college to get a better job and to make more money. They do not want to be a part of the economic have-nots. It seems that in this world of moral and family uncertainty, the youth think their only path to happiness may be found in the material world.

Fear # 1: "Something bad may happen to my family."

Teenagers are growing up in the midst of the highest rates of divorce ever. More children are living in single parent homes than ever before. It should be no surprise then that teens fear something bad happening to their families.

Amy is a 14-year-old from Florida. Her parents have been married seventeen years, but she fears that the marriage will not last.

"You should hear my parents fighting," she laments. "Sometimes I feel like they love each other, but they scream and threaten to divorce. One of these days they'll probably go through with it."

How does Amy feel about this possibility?

"It scares me to death," she responds softly. "Where would I live? Would we have enough money? Would I see both Mom and Dad? Would I have to spend time in two homes? What about my friends? Yeah, it scares me to death."

Teens fear the breakup of their families. Their fears are well founded.

To Understand, Not to Depress

We are presenting this information on the youth of America not to offer depressing information, but to help Christians understand the fears of these young people. And by better understanding them, we can be better equipped to reach out to them in the name and love of Christ, their only hope.