According to the Nashville Tennessean many churches are radically rethinking the way they try to keep teenagers in the pews.

Church leaders are finding that the trendy "fun and games" approach has left teens with a warm and fuzzy zeal for Christianity, but no real doctrinal understanding or long-term commitment. These "almost Christians" view religion as all taking and no giving. The first sign of trouble was when a teen wrote an essay gushing, "On Judgment Day, there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. And then the Tooth Fairy will leave money under your pillow."

Too many congregations have turned their youth ministers into glorified babysitters and overemphasized entertainment. ("Come for the bands and the food, but stay for...the other bands and food.") Youth ministers have painstakingly avoided wearisome/disturbing topics such as "begats" and "thou shalt nots" and brimstone. This has been deemed appropriate because, of course, teens get a free pass on all their secular activities. ("Well, it caused an 18-vehicle pile-up, but if you feel good about your parallel parking, I guess I have no choice but to give you your license.")

At least Bible quiz bowls used to keep youngsters sharp about kings, battles, and qualifications of deacons. Now the rare contests feature observations such as:

· "How did Jesus handle the shortage of wine at the wedding feast in Cana? Uh, he announced 'My parents' liquor cabinet is unlocked!'"

· "What should I do if someone smites me on the one cheek? Sign him up for a Mixed Smiting Arts competition!"

· "Why did the Puritans come to the New World? Free Wi-Fi?"

· "Who was the only perfect man who ever lived? Don't even get me started on that skank Allison and what she did behind my back at band camp!"

The "bread and circuses" approach hasn't worked. Youngsters still drop out of church. Why attend a chaperoned movie when you can go to the drive-in? Congregations are backtracking and conducting more intensive classes, emphasizing both scripture and handling of real-world temptations.

Some churches are responding by getting teens involved in outreach and volunteer work, but they have a lot of attitude to overcome. ("I'd love to volunteer if only they'd had the sense to make it a soup kitchen AND snowboard course. You just can't help some people, dude.")

Older Christians need to take more of an interest in teens, beyond just acknowledging honor rolls and the like.

There are some serious generational misunderstandings to erase. ("Wow! Jesus started his ministry when he was 30? That's so brave, coming out of the nursing home like that!")

Perhaps they've taken the wrong approach in the past decade, but churches are addressing a real problem. When kids reach a certain age, whether because of boredom, rebellion, or the allure of the world, a lot of them drift away from church.

I count myself fortunate that I've had 50 years of uninterrupted church attendance. Partly it's my parents' influence. Partly it was the challenging young adult class I attended. And partly it's because of my general disorganization. I mean, I just found this unused "to do" list I misplaced in 1978: "Write graduation gift 'thank you' cards. Pick up the cat at the vet. Sow your wild oats."

Wow. I always wondered what happened to Fluffy.

Note: Danny Tyree welcomes e-mail at tyreetyrades@aol.com.