The young adult drop-out rate has been the subject of considerable discussion in church circles, including this site in recent weeks.

I felt consultant Sam Rainer had some relevant observations about the ways churches can address the problem. However, there’s another angle to consider. A recent column in Ministry Today illustrates how a missional mindset can refocus churches’ attention on a different kind of dropout problem.

The author, David Staal, is the president of Kids Hope USA. That is the organization recommended recently by Leadership Network’s Reggie McNeal for churches wanting to get involved in helping their communities. Kids Hope matches at-risk kids with adult mentors.

Staal points out that many churches are focused on data showing that high school grads are walking away from churches. While that is an important issue, the former director of children’s ministry at Willow Creek Community Church says it also isn’t one that people outside churches care much about.

"On the other hand, the high school dropout rate is an issue that commands public interest," Staal says. "One in four students doesn’t finish high school, according to a recent Los Angeles Times article. Yes, this is a big public problem, but one that any church can help address."

He says at the heart of the solution is the power of the child-adult relationship. Ironically, he never knew a program like Kids USA’s existed while he was at Willow Creek. Yet, Staal describes having an "ah-ha" moment when he saw how these relationships positively influence children.

For proof, he cites the 16 at-risk children at an elementary school who received mentors through a United Methodist church. All 16 recently graduated from high school.

In addition, a college research center surveyed teachers who reported that in programs like this school-church partnership, 99.3 percent of children benefited in academics, behavior, attitude and motivation to learn.

"No wonder schools asking for such programs outnumber the churches available to help," Staal says.

Of course, churches that want to impact their community have opportunities galore. Some examples of those taking them:

· The Southern Baptist church in suburban Louisville that foregoes a Sunday service once a month so its members can get involved in community improvement. A United Methodist church in Jacksonville, Fla., has taken similar action.

· During Lent, members of River 47, an evangelical church in Orange, Calif., extended community to the whole world. It raised more than $2,700 to sponsor dramatic New Testament recordings in various people group’s native tongues.

· In the Hartford, Conn., area, an Evangelical Lutheran Church offers a twice-weekly homework club for students in grades one to three. The director says the program started as a tutoring ministry and turned into a mentoring, social time.

The key in each of these examples is how they demonstrate placing the needs of others ahead of church members. The missional mindset asks, "How can we help our community?" Implementing the answer could do much to stem the drop-out problem inside the walls.