Keeping Kids
Believe it or not we are still getting multiple requests daily for the booklet we offered on Keeping Children Faithful. They are free.
Since I have been speaking on this and researching (since early in the year), I have tried to find out everything I could on keeping kids faithful to the Lord. Many kids leave the church and do not come back after the age of 18.
On the other hand, mainstream churches of Christ do a great job of keeping our children. The progressive left lose theirs (60%) to community churches and the extreme right usually lose theirs (60%) to the world. In the middle, we are keeping 62% and seeing the return of many (12%) after college. The notion that we must change our theology to keep our kids is absurd. (Statistics from Flavil Yeakley Jr., “Where Are the Children?” in 2009 ETSOP Lectureship Book, “Life’s Greatest Questions, p. 162).
Ken Ham’s book, “Already Gone,” notes a quite interesting observation about music:
“I have visited hundreds and hundreds of churches. Everywhere I go, music seems to be the central issue…We think if we can make it dynamic, energetic, and fit the style of the generation we’re trying to reach, the epidemic (loss of children to world) will be stopped and young people will start flooding back into the Church. That’s simply not the case. Our research showed that music is NOT a fundamental factor in young adults choosing to leave or stay at church–but the preaching of God’s Word is.” (p. 110)
“Yes, people love music, but they want good teaching!”
“Cultural forms (guitars and drums) do not make you relevant, they just make you cool. Truth makes you relevant.”
What do kids need most: teaching and training. Cosmetics don’t help; they merely cover up and sometimes make everything look phony.
philsanders and 
Laura 12:02 am on December 15, 2009 Permalink |
Glad to see someone is really looking into this. I have long thought the reason we lose our children is because we have not properly taught them the word of God. How many that we lose start down that path because they do not understand why they believe what they believe and ultimately come to the conclusion that the church is just one of many denominations?
It all starts at home, but I don’t think that’s where it stops. Many sound congregations are using Bible materials that were written by and for denominations and edited for use in the church, without realizing what they have. While false teaching is mostly edited out, none of the distinctive doctrines of the church are inserted. So children getting a constant dose of this material never learn about Biblical worship, church organization, and God’s plan of salvation, among other things in Bible class settings where they can have a discussion with the teacher and ask questions. Ultimately our children begin to view us as no different than the denomination next door. If we are no different, then why not go somewhere more to your liking?
philsanders 2:56 pm on December 15, 2009 Permalink |
The key to keeping kids faithful is teaching and training. Nothing else is even in the ball park. Parents must take the primary role. We have often overlooked the role of Bible Classes, but you are right, Laura. We have jettisoned our responsibility to published literature, which may not give the whole truth to our children. We must look very closely at our distinctives. A couple of generations have grown up that do not have a clue who we are, what we believe, or why we are different. We must do our best to teach that along with all the other important things.
I am convinced that entertaining our kids will not lead them to take up the cross of Christ and bear up to the end. We must convert them to the Lord and His truth. We must set the example. We must help them along the way to work through their struggles.
God bless you Laura,
phil