Believe for It: When Passing on Faith Is DifficultSýnishorn

Day 2: An Underutilized Tool

When I was a child, the Winans family was in church every Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Mom Winans didn’t care if we fully paid attention, she simply wanted us to be in the “atmosphere” of God’s house and God’s people.

When I had my own children, we also made it a priority to attend church as a family. My children understood church was not optional. And that church was a safe place for them, a shelter from the world, where they heard the Word of God and deepened their relationships with Him. Our church attendance wasn’t perfect, but it was integral to our identity as a family.

The Book of Acts describes the early church in this way: “All the believers were together and had everything in common” (Acts 2:44). Young and old worshipped together and cared for each other in a way that resembled a family. In my experience, church is a family. Christians of all ages and backgrounds benefited from the mutual edification of meeting together.

I believe the local church is one of the most underutilized tools for passing faith on to the next generation. When I was growing up, our involvement with our local church was central, and everything else went around it. Today I observe the opposite: We have our lives and activities — “the struggle” as I call it — and we squeeze God in where we can.

Author and speaker Amie Dockery said, “What we make optional, the next generation will deem unnecessary.” Whew! We need to wake up and consider whether we’re placing our children into environments that will lead to deeper faith. I believe that those many years when I made sure my son was in church, made a lifelong impact on him. As a twenty-something, he would turn back to the Lord and eventually be called to be a pastor.

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” For me, the church has been a refuge from the world and a place where I, and my family, can live out our callings. It has been a place where we’ve tasted and seen God’s goodness. If your child is still in the home, don’t miss out. Go to church together. Ask God to pursue your child’s heart in His sacred house.

Questions to Consider

What has your experience been with church? Have you ever viewed the church as a tool in your mission to pass on your faith to your children? How could being involved in a local church impact you and your child’s spiritual life?