He appealed to younger congregants, and, under his direction, the synagogue experienced a large increase in attendance.

However, younger congregants feared a loss of identity, and forced a withdrawal.

The couple, co-pastors at Omega Baptist Church, had discovered that young congregants could not read or do math properly, Mrs. Ward said.

The change may be most significant for young congregants starting a family.

For Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Tex., attracting young congregants, and keeping them, has helped it grow from 30 families to 20,000 members in a dozen years.

At many Orthodox and Conservative synagogues, young congregants object that virtuosic singing shifts the attention from the text to the cantor.

Joseph, his 15-year-old son and the chaplain of the youth group, said that congregants, young and old, are becoming more of a community.

This often leads to some conflict between older and younger congregants (see contemporary worship).

She organizes pancake suppers, tutors a young congregant and helps lead the youth group's outreach to the poor.

Mr. Shata often feels out of place among his youngest congregants.