Don't Forget the Children
We live in a time where discipleship is practically non-existent with the younger Millennial and Gen Z generations. I am not saying that discipleship doesn’t happen, but the evidence is proving that what is currently happening is ineffective.
A 2014 study done by the Pew Research Center shows that younger millennials are more confused about what they believe than previous generations. The researchers questioned about 3900 people and the results speak for themselves. It is shocking how many people believe in God and Heaven, but don’t believe the Scriptures are from God or believe in the existence of Hell. The most discouraging statistics are how many don’t read Scriptures and pray regularly. Reading the Bible and prayer are two things that churches should be teaching and instructing, but these statistics are another body of evidence that the church is not effectively training our kids. The question becomes, “If they are not reading what their beliefs are grounded in, do they really understand what they actually believe?”
Working in youth and children ministries, it is becoming more challenging teaching the teens and children that come to church each week. Between the ever-increasing augmentation of technology and the pervasive nature of mainstream media, kids are growing up with an increased amount of non-parental influences and fake personas that are attempting to meet perceived social expectations. Those are not the issues, it is just the background noise. The real issue is the increase in Biblical illiteracy. Teens do not know how to read or use their Bibles, children are not familiar with the stories that are taught in every Sunday school curriculum around the world, and both groups are ignorant to the basic tenants of the faith.
In many churches, the answer to this problem is, “We need to focus more on discipleship.” Unfortunately, these are just empty buzzwords that sound great but are never followed through. Leadership has the pure intentions of starting more one-on-one discipleship which excites the congregation, but neither take action. The place where discipleship is most lacking is the household. There are parents that focus on discipling their children, but there is a vast majority of households that do not. In Deuteronomy 4 – 6, God told the Israelites they are to instruct their children in the Scriptures. The purpose for this commandment was for children to understand who God is, what He has done for them, and how that should affect the way they conduct themselves. That commandment is still applicable today and, in my experience, the church is not following through with it.
Most people will solidify their personal belief system by the age of 21, and that view will guide and influence the rest of their lives (Barna Group).If churches and, more importantly, families would start focusing on ensuring their children and teens have basic Biblical knowledge which leads to confidence in their faith, they can be a force of change that is far more effective than any individual church program or outreach event. Why? It is because they are corralled at schools and colleges; eight months a year, five days a week, eight hours each day; actively engaging with people their own ages and in environments where people are exploring how the world works and defining what is right or wrong. Across the United States and the world, our teens and children are in some of the largest collections of people in their given communities. If we can teach our children effectively, we would be equipping missionaries to spread the Gospel in their own backyards, but can only share what they know.