The same survey, however, showed 78 percent don't drink, 83 percent do not take drugs and a total of 93 percent pray "daily" or "weekly."

"It's shocking to know that some of the same kids who think about killing themselves may pray either daily or weekly," said Clyde Hall, manager of the Sunday School Board's youth discipleship section.

The survey included 2,501 youth surveyed at 1997 summer youth conferences. Ninety-five percent of the youth answering the survey claimed to be Christians. Fifty-five percent of the respondents were female; 45 percent were male.

A random sample of 500 was analyzed from the total number of youth surveyed, according to Hall, who commissioned the survey. He said the findings cannot be projected to all Southern Baptist youth, but only to those who participated in the survey.

On the issue of suicide, an analysis by school grade revealed that 25 percent of high school students compared to 18 percent of all junior high students considered killing themselves.

Hall said he believes the older students feel more pressure to succeed.

Forty-four percent of the youth said they "sometimes" cheat on tests, while 48 percent do not. Eight percent of those surveyed said "yes" they do cheat on tests.

Of the youth surveyed, 64 percent read their Bibles weekly or daily, yet 51 percent said they seldom tell people about Jesus, and 79 percent would or might date someone who is not a Christian.

"Youth are reading the Bible. They know about the Bible, but they don't know the Jesus of the Bible," Hall said. "They don't seem to have a personal relationship with him, and so they don't tell others about him.

"That gets to some of the problems at the heart of youth ministry. Some youth programs are more about fun and activity and less about discipling and equipping," Hall said. "As ministers, we have to do a better job, a more purpose-oriented job, in helping our youth know who Jesus is." (BP)