Dear Disciples of Christ in this Holy Cooperative,
With the jump start into fall activities beginning this month. School, Sunday school, and Confirmation starting. Seniors, in high school, beginning the “last time” for all things. College students heading off to new experiences. Parents letting go and trusting their child and God to this amazing and crazy world. As I was thinking about all of that about to unfold this month, I was reminded of an article my friend Kevin wrote years ago of parenting/faith statistics.
There is probably nothing more important to a parent than their children. Most parents would even jeopardize their own health and life for their children. But even though so many parents would die for their children, I wonder how many live for their children? How many parents live their life the way they want their children to live? Do you?
Some interesting statistics for you to know and think about:
- If your parents worshiped with you regularly while you were growing up, chances are 80% that you will worship regularly, too.
- If only your mother worshiped regularly with you, chances are only 30% that you will worship regularly.
-
But, if your father worshiped with you regularly, chances are still 70% that you will worship regularly as an adult.
It seems obvious from these statistics that dads have a large role in the faith formation of their children. Our children want to know what is important in their parents’ lives and they look at the way life is lived to prove what is important. If you stay home from worship to watch a football game, or go hunting, or work on your race car, or just sleep in there is nothing wrong or ungodly about that. But your children will see what is really important to you even if you tell them faith is.
Jake learned how to be a man from his father. He learned how to work hard. He learned how to fix cars. He learned how to hold a solid job and make money. But his dad never came to worship. Church was not important to his dad. Church was not important to Jake either. So, when Jake was confirmed in 8th grade it was the last time I saw him in church. Jake had learned at an early age that worshiping the one you believe in was not something one needed to be focused on. There were other life activities that were more important. Is worship important to you? What is it you are teaching your children by example?
Maybe it is time that we parents sit down and take an inventory of what is truly important in our lives. Then we need to live out those values, if not for ourselves, we need to do it for our children.
God’s peace and strong presence be with you and your family.