Five members of our family ministry team plus myself returned from a three-day conference in Nashville, Tennesse. The purpose of the conference was to equip the church and the home. It was a great time! Not only did our team have a lot of laughs and eat some good food, but we also had good discussions, were challenged in each session we attended, and we heard gospel-centered teaching. I want to share one thing that really stood out to me during our time there.
In a study released by Lifeway in January 2019, they found that 66% of students who were involved in the church during their high school years were walking away from their faith.
Yikes! This study was done about 10 years after similar studies were done that yielded only slightly higher results. With all of the efforts to change this reality over the last decade, not a whole lot has changed. This isn’t what I want to share with you though. In the study, many questions were asked, leading them to multiple findings. But one fact stood out to me.
Parents + Spiritual Mentors
The number one reason students stay involved in the church and maintain an active faith after they leave high school has to do with the role of spiritual mentors in a student’s life. Someone who has three or more spiritual mentors in their life during their high school years is three times more likely to stay connected to the church and their faith in their college years. Three times!!!
It is critical to not only see Mom and Dad spiritually leading their children but also they shouldn’t take on this responsibility alone. The church and the home must be in partnership with each other. Have your child engage in the life of the church in order to place them in the same orbit as other committed Christians — those who are more mature and have a heart for the gospel — allowing them to influence your child. These relationships can become the difference between a lasting faith and one that is abandoned and forgotten.
At Berean, we want to partner with parents to see children and youth develop a firmly-rooted authentic faith. We have environments for your children that are filled with incredible spiritual mentors. As a church, we want to come alongside parents and help to disciple the younger generation. Two influences working together will have a greater impact than two individual influences. As a church, we are here for your children and for you! Let’s lock arms for the sake of the gospel and the sake of the generations.