{"id":31070,"date":"2022-09-10T15:15:41","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-the-church-must-do-to-keep-kids-and-parents-spiritually-engaged\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:15:41","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:15:41","slug":"what-the-church-must-do-to-keep-kids-and-parents-spiritually-engaged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/what-the-church-must-do-to-keep-kids-and-parents-spiritually-engaged\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Church Must Do to Keep Kids\u2014and Parents\u2014Spiritually Engaged"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Jenny Whitaker<\/em><\/p>\n

As a kids ministry leader, I spend time studying and reading research to find out what\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t when it comes to helping kids grow into spiritually strong adults. The research and, more importantly, the Bible, are clear on one thing: The primary job is not mine; it is the parents\u2019 duty.<\/p>\n

Research says young adults are leaving the church at a high rate. They\u2019re growing up and walking away from the faith. In short: they never own their faith. They simply do as they\u2019re told, attend the programs, take part in the discipleship events, and eventually, leave it all behind.<\/p>\n

But how do I best partner with and equip parents so that we can see our kids grow into spiritually strong adults\u2014people who are active participants in a local congregation? The key to seeing kids grow into faithful churchgoers and spiritually strong adults is daily Bible reading.<\/p>\n

The key to seeing kids grow into faithful churchgoers and spiritually strong adults is daily Bible reading. Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

In a study of 2,500 Protestant churchgoers, Lifeway\u2019s Discipleship Pathway Assessment study found only 32% read the Bible daily, 40% read the Bible once a week or less, and 12% said they rarely or never opened the Scriptures. Take it a step further, and you will find in this same research that the younger the respondent, the less likely they were to read the Bible every day. <\/p>\n

Even more directly, in a previous study Lifeway Research asked parents about the spiritual practices of their children as kids and then as adults to discover what activities and attitudes best predict a child raised in a Christian home will become a spiritually healthy adult. The best predictor? The child regularly read the Bible growing up.<\/p>\n

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So, what does that mean for kids ministry leaders\u2014and the church in general? What lesson(s) do we take away from research like this?<\/p>\n

Prioritize Bible reading for kids<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First, we need to have a focus on daily Bible reading. If there\u2019s a direct relationship between regular church attendance and regular Bible reading, and most people who identify as Protestant churchgoers aren\u2019t reading the Bible regularly, what does that look like for the future of the church? I\u2019ll tell you; it doesn\u2019t look good.<\/p>\n

In order to raise up a generation of spiritually strong, faithful churchgoers who will begin to set the trend in the opposite direction, we must get out of the way and give them the One who can do what we cannot. And they\u2019ll find Him in their Bible.<\/p>\n

So much of what we do to engage kids and parents is good, but perhaps not best<\/em> when it comes to finding ways to equip families to engage in biblical parenting.<\/p>\n

So much of what we do to engage kids and parents is good, but perhaps not best when it comes to finding ways to equip families to engage in biblical parenting. \u2014 @JenWhitaker00 Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

Yes, there is a place for our outreach events. Fall festivals and Easter egg hunts alike share love and give us an opportunity to connect with our community, but oftentimes with these types of events, we forget to consider a follow-up strategy, which is where outreach meets discipleship.<\/p>\n

Vacation Bible School is one exception, as most VBS programs have a built-in follow-up strategy. We reach kids and we develop those who are already disciples so that we can continue helping them to grow. Some of us even have strategies in place to help reach, equip, and engage parents during and after VBS so parents can be part of the discipleship journey when the event is over.<\/p>\n

With other smaller ministry events we can forget to include follow-up in our strategy altogether and even less so when we are catering to the families who are already engaged in our church.<\/p>\n

We may send home weekly take-home sheets from Sunday School, emails or texts to equip parents to continue the conversations at home, and Scripture verses they can read with their family, and while all of these are good<\/em> things, I\u2019d argue that perhaps there\u2019s an integral step we\u2019re missing.<\/p>\n

Prioritize Bible reading for parents<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As I considered this research and what it might mean in my own ministry, one thing became clear: If I need to equip my parents to engage their kids in regular Bible reading, I also need to make sure I equip my parents to be doing the same for themselves<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If I need to equip my parents to engage their kids in regular Bible reading, I also need to make sure I equip my parents to be doing the same for themselves. \u2014 @jenwhitaker00 Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where the real challenge comes in. This isn\u2019t just a job for the kids or family ministries of your church; this is a core discipleship issue in which the entire church needs to be involved.<\/p>\n

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See also  4 Changes I’d Make If I Could Start Ministry Over<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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What things are your church doing to encourage churchgoers to read the Bible daily? Is there a sense of accountability? Is there even a sense of importance? Does it get taught? Or is it just assumed that churchgoers are regular Bible readers? The research is clear that such an assumption is far from true.<\/p>\n

As a parent, I can tell my kids to do things, but if it\u2019s new to them or seems too challenging, they won\u2019t be successful\u2014at least not in the long term. And long term is what we\u2019re in the business of as a church. Discipleship is a life-long journey\u2014one that research shows plateaus or stagnates (if it doesn\u2019t end altogether) without regular Bible engagement.<\/p>\n

Discipleship is a life-long journey\u2014one that research shows plateaus or stagnates (if it doesn\u2019t end altogether) without regular Bible engagement. \u2014 @jenwhitaker00 Click To Tweet <\/p>\n

In kids ministry this may mean challenging kids to open their Bible and find the same verse every day for a week. You might be wondering why the same<\/em> verse? Depending on the age or Bible literacy of the child\u2014or the adult for that matter\u2014this is going to help with a myriad of Bible skills.<\/p>\n

First, it builds a habit of opening God\u2019s Word daily. It\u2019s also exposing them to the same verse every day, which will help with Scripture memorization. And depending on the age of the child, you may see that they will reflect on that verse and start to analyze it, building those Bible study skills they\u2019ll need as they grow in their faith.<\/p>\n

From there, the sky is the limit. And the same principles can be applied to adults\u2014parents, in particular.<\/p>\n

Partner with Sunday School teachers or small group leaders. Share the research with your pastoral staff and work together to identify and employ strategies to move the needle as it applies to your families.<\/p>\n

Developing daily Bible readers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Maybe you have a majority of people who never open the Bible, or perhaps a majority of your families open it only a few times a week. Identify your starting point and find ways to build from there.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in the process of training for a triathlon. My coach didn\u2019t start me out with long runs, swims, or rides; she\u2019s teaching me how to warm up properly, how to build my base and design a road map to get from where I am to where I want to be. The same strategy should be employed for any habit or discipline, and for any age.<\/p>\n

In the same Lifeway Research study of 2,500 churchgoers, respondents were also asked if they missed the time with God when they went several days without reading the Bible. More than half (58%) of respondents agreed that they desperately missed that time with God.<\/p>\n

This brings me back to my earlier point. The desire to spend time with God is not something we<\/em> can give to parents or kids; only the Holy Spirit can do that. So, it stands to reason that a lot of the challenges we face as church leaders\u2014and even as parents trying to disciple our own kids\u2014may be resolved by simply creating a culture of daily Bible readers.<\/p>\n

Now is the time to evaluate our ministry strategies to identify what, if anything, we\u2019re doing to help parents be engaged in biblical parenting. Without engaging parents in this strategy, we\u2019ll miss one of the most valuable investments we can make in the next generation.<\/p>\n

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Jenny Whitaker<\/h2>\n

@jenwhitaker00<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Jenny is the children and family ministry director of Bradfordville First Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Fla., where she lives with her husband and three children. Jenny is a writer for Lifeway Kids curriculum and enjoys training children\u2019s ministry leaders across the state of Florida.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n