Faith Beyond the Finish Line: Staying Connected After Graduation
Your faith journey doesn’t end at graduation — it’s just getting started.
At Legacy, we have a strategic plan to make disciples of everyone who attends our church. A key part of this plan is Legacy Landmarks, which guide individuals from infancy through a person’s development. One such milestone is high school graduation—a pivotal moment both in life and in a disciple’s journey with Jesus. It’s a time when a student leaves home and must decide if he or she is going to continue to grow in faith. Our goal is for every student to remain faithful and become a disciple-maker wherever life takes them.
Unfortunately, many don’t. A 2019 study by Barna Research, an evangelical polling firm, revealed that 64% of students leave their faith after high school. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean the remaining 36% are growing spiritually—only that they attend church semi-regularly.[i]
Lifeway Research identified five main reasons young adults (ages 18–22) leave the faith:
- They moved to college and didn’t prioritize church.
- Church members appeared judgmental or hypocritical.
- They lacked meaningful connections within the church.
- They disagreed with the church’s views on political or social issues.
- Work responsibilities got in the way.[ii]
To address this, authors David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock wrote Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon.[iii] Their research found that only 1 in 10 young Christians are what they call “resilient disciples”—those who continue following Jesus despite cultural pressures. These resilient disciples share five key traits:
- A personal commitment to Jesus.
- Belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
- Active involvement in Christian community beyond Sunday services.
- Confidence in the Bible as the true and inspired word of God.
- A faith that remains relevant in today’s world, often expressed through statements like:
- “I want to follow Jesus in a way that connects with the world I live in.”
- “God is working outside the Church, and I want to be part of that.”
- “I want to be a Christian without isolating myself from the world.”
Research shows that students with a strong biblical foundation and a faith-based community are far more likely to grow spiritually after graduation. At Legacy, we partner with families to help students build that foundation, and after graduation, we aim to equip you with resources to stay connected and keep growing in your faith through this next stage of life.
Senior Checklist
Here are some steps to think through as you enter the next phase of your life:
- If you’re staying in town, join a “College-age” life group at Legacy to stay connected with people your age.
- Before moving on campus, google the local churches and campus ministries to get plugged in.
- Google “Churches/on campus ministries near ______”
- Click on the websites of different churches.
- On the website, read their vision, mission, and belief statements.
- Make a list of the churches and on campus ministries that align with your biblical beliefs.
- Try out the churches and on-campus ministries you researched.
- After about a month or two, choose a church and ministry to call home, start serving, and join a life group!
- Don’t forget that we’re here for you! Legacy’s leaders want to continue to encourage you as you walk with God into the next stage of your life!
Click HERE for helpful links to campus ministries and churches near your favorite colleges!
[i] “Church Dropouts Have Risen to 64%—But What About Those Who Stay?”, Barna Research, September 4, 2019, accessed April 24, 2025, https://www.barna.com/research/resilient-disciples/
[ii] “Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church When They Become Young Adults,” Lifeway Research, January 5, 2019, accessed April 24, 2025, https://research.lifeway.com/2019/01/15/most-teenagers-drop-out-of-church-as-young-adults/
[iii] David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock. Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2019).