Young Adults Delaying Marriage
U.S. Census estimates show that for the first time, unmarried adults represented more than half of American households. Almost three-quarters of men and almost two-thirds of women in their 20s in 2006 said they had never been married, according to Census data, a sharp increase in never-married twentysomethings the last six years.

"This suggests it's not just the phenomenon of college-educated people who tend to marry later or the high school-educated who tend to marry earlier," says Andrew Cherlin, a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University. "It's an across-the-board shift." However, Cherlin says the large change is "not unbelievable, especially if living-together relationships are compensating for some of the postponement of marriage."

Why Young People Stay in Church
According to LifeWay research, the most common reasons young people keep attending churches are:

	Church is vital to a relationship with God (65%)
	They want church guidance in everyday life decisions (58%)
	It helps them become a better person (50%)
	They are committed to the purpose and work of the church (42%)

Two-thirds of the teens who stay in church as young adults describe the church as "a vital part of my relationship with God"--demonstrating the importance of each teen having a strong relationship with God, as well as the importance of church attendance, said Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research.

Investing time in young people "can help connect the dots to help a teen integrate their faith into their life," Ed says. "And it gives the teens a connection to church after graduation when many of their peers are no longer around."