The argument between child and parent rages on: "I don't wanna go...!"
There was something in my last post that I forgot to mention as an important ingredient of passing on your faith to your kids:
DOING MINISTRY AT YOUR CHURCH.
Here's what I mean...
You can go to worship services every week faithfully, but are you the first ones out the door? Does your "worship" end there? Have YOU (as parents) tried to make connections at church?
Not only that, but are you SERVING somewhere? Have you taken an ACTIVE ROLE within the church?
When parents become passionate about something, it increases the chances of their kids becoming passionate about it, too. And one of the signs of passion (not just in church) is when people are proactive and purposeful about their passion. They don't take a "sit-back-and-see-what-happens" attitude. They YEARN for ways to help out!
I'm not talking about being obnoxious, or always being in front of people. I have some parents in my youth ministry who I can DEPEND ON to be there and do things as simple as set up chairs and tables, or make coffee and tea for our fundraiser lunches. By their quiet (but dependable) service, they are shouting to their kids, "THIS IS IMPORTANT!"
I LOVE IT when teens aren't in the High School class because they are helping their mom teach the 3 year olds! I LOVE IT when parents pull their kids out of worship so they can do puppets for Junior Church! They are working TOGETHER and they are sharing their passion with their kids.
If you want to increase the chances of your kids staying faithful, get involved in a ministry at your church! Tell your kids about your passion. Let them see it at work as you serve, even if it's behind the scenes! And allow your kids to test the ministry waters as well, to see where they might serve and get passionate about putting their faith to work.
4 comments:
10-4 man. Another great post.
I saw my parents help a lot of people, both under the guidance of the church and outside the church, and it taught me some valuable lessons. The most important lesson was "love your neighbor as yourself."
They passed on their faith through action. Great point!
Jeremy Divis
Hey Franklin,
Do you have any suggestions for anyone who wants to get involved but has a very small and very elderly-filled church?
Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that I'm 14 and that I am the youth group...incase you're wondering.
Just so you know, I find your blog extremely uplifting.
Hi Anonymous!
Welcome to my little blog, and thanks for you question.
First of all, let me say that you sound like a very mature 14-year old! I am SO proud of you for thinking of these things at such a young age.
Secondly, thank you for not running away and looking for a "younger" church to attend. Although I would not blame you for it, I am sure the older folks at your church appreciate your presence VERY MUCH!
My advice would be to think and pray on the following:
1) Where do you think God is calling you to serve?
2) What are your talents and abilities and how can those factor into your service? (If you're shy, just doing simple things like I mentioned in my blog are great!)
3) If there is something within your church that you could help with, kindly ask the ministry leader or an elder if you can help.
4) Church service is not always limited to INSIDE the church body. You can honor God by serving other kids your age, or your community in general.
Without knowing more about you, this is about the best I can offer. I hope it helps!
If you need to talk, PLEASE feel free to e-mail or call me. My contact info can be found at www.swestcc.org
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