---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people leaving church still see the…"
description: "\"“Most people leaving church still see the need for some kind of community. We shouldn't think most of them as interested in lone-ranger Christianity. O..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kevin-deyoung-1086_people-leaving_most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the_1125995.jpg"
---

#  Most people leaving church still see the need for some…

![“Most people leaving church still see the need for some kind of community. We shouldn't think most of them as interested in lone-ranger Christianity. Often, these ex-churchgoers meet together for prayer, accountability, and encouragement.” quote by Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kevin-deyoung-1086_people-leaving_most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the_1125995.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kevin-deyoung-1086_people-leaving_most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the_1125995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kevin-deyoung-1086_people-leaving_most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the_1125995.jpg)

> ““Most people leaving church still see the need for some kind of community. We shouldn't think most of them as interested in lone-ranger Christianity. Often, these ex-churchgoers meet together for prayer, accountability, and encouragement.””

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even after leaving formal church, people still seek community, prayer, and accountability, not isolated spirituality.

**In simple terms:** Ex‑church members need community and support.

Key Takeaway

Foster supportive groups for spiritual growth.

Themes

community spirituality accountability church

Mood

hopeful concerned

Type

practical encouraging

When to use this quote

- small groups
- prayer circles
- mentorship programs

Key Concepts

faith formation social support

Questions to Reflect On

- How can churches better serve those transitioning out?
- What alternative community models exist?

A Different Perspective

May overlook those who find fulfillment outside organized religion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[People leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-leaving/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/)

## Related quotes

> [“People are leaving the church and going back to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/)

[Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/)

> [“The standard practice of preachers linking God’s work so closely to church programs and priorities had a devastating effect on Christians who gave up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-spencer/the-standard-practice-of-preachers-linking-god-s-work-so-closely-to/)

[Michael Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-spencer/)

> [It's all so verbal in the Protestant church. You've heard these words a million times before. Maybe people are leaving the church because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/it-s-all-so-verbal-in-the-protestant-church-you-ve-heard-these-words/)

[Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/)

> [Churchgoers in America are notorious for jumping into movements, even ideas that are hard to listen to. But when they actually have to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/churchgoers-in-america-are-notorious-for-jumping-into-movements-even/)

[Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/)

> [Growing up in New Orleans, my mom and dad were churchgoers. I would go to church with them. Also, I was going to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avery-johnson/growing-up-in-new-orleans-my-mom-and-dad-were-churchgoers-i-would-go/)

[Avery Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avery-johnson/)

> [As I see it, a lukewarm Christian is an oxymoron; there is no such thing. To put it plainly, churchgoers who are 'lukewarm' are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/as-i-see-it-a-lukewarm-christian-is-an-oxymoron-there-is-no-such/)

[Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/)

> [“We impress Grace with the necessity of taking her umbrella (although the sky is cloudless), and join the throng of fashionably attired churchgoers, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/we-impress-grace-with-the-necessity-of-taking-her-umbrella-although/)

[D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/)

> [Because we lived in the presence of the church and the convent and the rectory and the school 24-7. And this was an enormous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/because-we-lived-in-the-presence-of-the-church-and-the-convent-and/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [“...I question whether many American churchgoers are really in love with God because they are so hesitant to do anything for Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/i-question-whether-many-american-churchgoers-are-really-in-love-with/)

[Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/)

> [“Non-churchgoers tend to see Christians as takers rather than givers. When Christians sacrifice and give wildly to the poor, that is truly a light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/non-churchgoers-tend-to-see-christians-as-takers-rather-than-givers/)

[Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/)

> [Churchgoers are like coals in a fire. When they cling together, they keep the flame aglow; when they separate, they die out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/churchgoers-are-like-coals-in-a-fire-when-they-cling-together-they/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [“Fewer than half of churchgoers, including born-again Christians, felt strongly that their church demonstrates unconditional love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kinnaman/fewer-than-half-of-churchgoers-including-born-again-christians-felt/)

[David Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kinnaman/)

> [Churchgoers feel righteous, responsible, and obedient to God's will. They view anyone unlike themselves as devoid of values, and therefore unworthy of God's love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/churchgoers-feel-righteous-responsible-and-obedient-to-god-s-will/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [“We live in a world that is watching the church with one eyebrow raised. When Hollywood is viewed as doing more to feed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-hatmaker/we-live-in-a-world-that-is-watching-the-church-with-one-eyebrow/)

Brandon Hatmaker

> [It is necessary to obey a Pope in all things as long as he does not go against the universal customs of the Church,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-innocent-iii/it-is-necessary-to-obey-a-pope-in-all-things-as-long-as-he-does-not/)

[Pope Innocent III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-innocent-iii/)

## More by Kevin DeYoung

> [“Worry about the future is not simply a character tic, it is the sin of unbelief, an indication that our hearts are not resting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/worry-about-the-future-is-not-simply-a-character-tic-it-is-the-sin-of/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [There is nothing gray about whether a follower of Christ should see 50 Shades of Grey. This is a black and white issue. Don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/there-is-nothing-gray-about-whether-a-follower-of-christ-should-see/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [A catechism is simply a tool for teaching the fundamentals of the faith. Unlike a creed or confession, a catechism uses questions and answers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/a-catechism-is-simply-a-tool-for-teaching-the-fundamentals-of-the/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/live-for-god-obey-the-scriptures-think-of-others-before-yourself-be/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [Busyness kills more Christians than bullets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/busyness-kills-more-christians-than-bullets/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [Grace is free, but it's not cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/grace-is-free-but-it-s-not-cheap/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [If there really is a perfect will of God we are meant to discover, in which we will find tremendous freedom and fulfillment, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/if-there-really-is-a-perfect-will-of-god-we-are-meant-to-discover-in/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [Seek first the kingdom of God, and then trust that He will take care of our needs, even before we know what they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/seek-first-the-kingdom-of-god-and-then-trust-that-he-will-take-care/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [There is no sin so prevalent, so insidious, and so deep as the sin of fearing people more than we fear God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/there-is-no-sin-so-prevalent-so-insidious-and-so-deep-as-the-sin-of/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [“The pursuit of holiness is not a quixotic effort to do just what Jesus did. It’s the fight to live out the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/the-pursuit-of-holiness-is-not-a-quixotic-effort-to-do-just-what/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [Offendedness is just about the last shared moral currency in our country. And, I'm sorry, but it's really annoying. We don't discuss ideas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/offendedness-is-just-about-the-last-shared-moral-currency-in-our/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [The finality of Christs redemption for us is intimately tied to the finality of his revelation to us. . . . If we say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/the-finality-of-christs-redemption-for-us-is-intimately-tied-to-the/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [Everything before Jesus is preface. Everything after Jesus is appendix. Jesus is the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/everything-before-jesus-is-preface-everything-after-jesus-is-appendix/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [Sometimes feeling overwhelmed is part of what it means to be a Christian. You can't bear somebody else's burden unless you are taking something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/sometimes-feeling-overwhelmed-is-part-of-what-it-means-to-be-a/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

> [“Faith and good works are both necessary. But one is the root and the other the fruit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/faith-and-good-works-are-both-necessary-but-one-is-the-root-and-the/)

[Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

[Explore all 295 Kevin DeYoung quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/)

## More People leaving quotes

> [“I contemplated how I was going to get through the rest of the day and felt the onset of a terror I thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/i-contemplated-how-i-was-going-to-get-through-the-rest-of-the-day-and/)

[Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/)

> [I was always holding onto people, and they were always leaving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-always-holding-onto-people-and-they-were-always-leaving/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Near Taksim he suddenly found himself inside a crowd of people leaving a movie theater. They were staring straight ahead, as if in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/near-taksim-he-suddenly-found-himself-inside-a-crowd-of-people/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I don't want to have to miss all the people I'm leaving behind when I go to college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-want-to-have-to-miss-all-the-people-i-m-leaving-behind-when-i/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Im used to people leaving me after they found someone new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-used-to-people-leaving-me-after-they-found-someone-new/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“People are leaving the church and going back to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/)

[Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/)

> [Naturally in any organisation, if you've got people leaving or change of personnel, it's never going to be a stable environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-russell/naturally-in-any-organisation-if-you-ve-got-people-leaving-or-change/)

[George Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-russell/)

> [Your smile is perfect And you make me so Happy. I'm glad I have you And no one compares to all that you mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-smile-is-perfect-and-you-make-me-so-happy-i-m-glad-i-have-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“My father was right: people are always leaving. They fall in and out of your life like shadows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-hubbard/my-father-was-right-people-are-always-leaving-they-fall-in-and-out-of/)

[Susan Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-hubbard/)

> [The economy is in trouble, schools are in trouble, and people have been leaving the city in droves for a long, long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-carey/the-economy-is-in-trouble-schools-are-in-trouble-and-people-have-been/)

[Drew Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-carey/)

> [So it really does have a sort of bittersweet quality. Kids like to have adventures and to believe they can fly, but there's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-rigby/so-it-really-does-have-a-sort-of-bittersweet-quality-kids-like-to/)

[Cathy Rigby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-rigby/)

> [We live in an interconnected world, and you cannot prevent people from leaving. What you need to do is to create opportunities. At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-live-in-an-interconnected-world-and-you-cannot-prevent-people-from/)

[Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/)

> [It seems like a cultural shift - you see less and less bands coming up and more people leaving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikal-cronin/it-seems-like-a-cultural-shift-you-see-less-and-less-bands-coming-up/)

[Mikal Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikal-cronin/)

> [Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-more-common-than-unsuccessful-people-with-talent/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Mainly, life experiences with my family or travelling as a young kid, I feel like I had a different lifestyle than a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zac-farro/mainly-life-experiences-with-my-family-or-travelling-as-a-young-kid-i/)

[Zac Farro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zac-farro/)

[Browse all 51 People leaving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-leaving/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Most people leaving church still see the need for some kind of community. We shouldn't think most of them as interested in lone-ranger Christianity. Often, these ex-churchgoers meet together for prayer, accountability, and encouragement.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kevin DeYoung"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the-need-for-some-kind-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "People leaving"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the-need-for-some-kind-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kevin-deyoung-1086_people-leaving_most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the_1125995.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kevin-deyoung-1086_people-leaving_most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the_1125995.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/kevin-deyoung-1086_people-leaving_most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the_1125995.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Most people leaving church still see the need for some kind of community. We shouldn't think most of them as…” — Kevin DeYoung",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kevin DeYoung",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Most people leaving church still see...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the-need-for-some-kind-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/most-people-leaving-church-still-see-the-need-for-some-kind-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
