Children are a very important part of the Church. Jesus famously said in Matthew 19:14 “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,  and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” If children were that important to Jesus, we should hold  them in the same regard. Since children are so important why are so  many young people leaving the Church in droves? What steps can we take to stop this? Well, it all starts with the parents. 

Parents are the principal human influence in the faith formation of their children. God entrusted parents, not the church, with the primary responsibility of nurturing their children’s love and commitment to Jesus. How parents speak about, model, and value their faith profoundly influences their children’s faith formation. There is plenty of research that backs this up but more importantly scripture does as well. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 we here this command “4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” It’s clear the God wants parents to do. Parents must be the primary push and example for the faith of their children. 

Parents can do this in many ways. The first is simple and it is bringing your family to Church! Just being in worship is amazing because they are hearing God’s Word. You can expand on this by being an example and helping your children follow along in the service and then asking them questions about what they heard in the car ride home. Another way to do this is to have family devotions at home. Being in the word together as a family is amazing and if you are consistent with it, you will create a habit that your children will rely on for years to come. This may be a hard job, but it is very important and I pray for all the parents of the world that they may bring their children up in the faith. 

In Christ Alone 

Aaron Finkel