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| The Sunday School of my memory. |
Not long ago, I delivered a sermon on an increased need to impress our young people with the merits of living a life based on Christian principles, going so far as to call on grandparents and other close relatives to pick up the slack. I fear the dissertation was noted more for its length than for the rather protracted message.
Nevertheless, I have been struck with the realization that in churches (and too few Christian homes) across the world, we have been teaching kids about their faith" backwards", as one observer has expressed it. Quite frankly, it is a common mistake.
Through Bible parables, songs, and verses a great deal of time has been spent teaching children about Jesus, the prophets, and the disciples. But sadly, the essentials of the Christian faith often get neglected, or take a back seat to an emphasis on the recitation of stories coupled with fun and games.
Kids can attend Sunday school for years and still come up with questions like, “How do I pray?” and “Why should I pray when God already knows everything?" "How do I know that everything in the Bible is true?”
As church attendance declines, we see a parallel decrease in children’s participation in Sunday schools and educational programming. The heartbreaking result: The majority of Christian children today walk away from church involvement before they leave high school. They see no relevancy and become bored with the repetition of it all.
In reality and at the end of the day, children should be learning to understand the living God and the fundamentals of how to relate to Him...1) how to talk to God in prayer, 2) how to hear God's messages, 3) how to develop a relationship with Christ, and 4) how to live as a Christian in an increasingly secular world.
Nevertheless, I have been struck with the realization that in churches (and too few Christian homes) across the world, we have been teaching kids about their faith" backwards", as one observer has expressed it. Quite frankly, it is a common mistake.
Through Bible parables, songs, and verses a great deal of time has been spent teaching children about Jesus, the prophets, and the disciples. But sadly, the essentials of the Christian faith often get neglected, or take a back seat to an emphasis on the recitation of stories coupled with fun and games.
Kids can attend Sunday school for years and still come up with questions like, “How do I pray?” and “Why should I pray when God already knows everything?" "How do I know that everything in the Bible is true?”
As church attendance declines, we see a parallel decrease in children’s participation in Sunday schools and educational programming. The heartbreaking result: The majority of Christian children today walk away from church involvement before they leave high school. They see no relevancy and become bored with the repetition of it all.
In reality and at the end of the day, children should be learning to understand the living God and the fundamentals of how to relate to Him...1) how to talk to God in prayer, 2) how to hear God's messages, 3) how to develop a relationship with Christ, and 4) how to live as a Christian in an increasingly secular world.
It is all about building a foundation on which faith can grow through life. And you know what? In my experience it has been surprising how agreeable kids always are to listening to meaningful messages relating to God in their lives.
To their credit, several faith organizations have actually recognized teaching shortcomings and are developing lessons for children that address the long-standing deficiency. Hopefully such measures will fill the cracks, albeit too little too late for many of our millennials who will be the leaders of tomorrow.
Kids do not always need to be entertained any more than they need to be "talked to". They do, however, react to learning challenges, inspiration and encouragement. Trouble is, we have arrived at a point where there is an associated declining number of committed adults serving as youth leaders, teaching and setting Christian examples for our kids, especially in smaller communities. It has become a Catch 22.
In fact, a growing number of churches have no programming for children. Some carefully integrate the children’s interests and needs into the Sunday worship service itself. Other aging churches have few or no young families present in their congregation and hence, a degree of vitality has been lost.
And while the reasons for this are nuanced and complex, there is no doubt that part of the blame falls on the church’s, perhaps innocent inability to highlight the beauty and truth of Christ’s call to discipleship in ways that resonate with young people.
To their credit, several faith organizations have actually recognized teaching shortcomings and are developing lessons for children that address the long-standing deficiency. Hopefully such measures will fill the cracks, albeit too little too late for many of our millennials who will be the leaders of tomorrow.
Kids do not always need to be entertained any more than they need to be "talked to". They do, however, react to learning challenges, inspiration and encouragement. Trouble is, we have arrived at a point where there is an associated declining number of committed adults serving as youth leaders, teaching and setting Christian examples for our kids, especially in smaller communities. It has become a Catch 22.
In fact, a growing number of churches have no programming for children. Some carefully integrate the children’s interests and needs into the Sunday worship service itself. Other aging churches have few or no young families present in their congregation and hence, a degree of vitality has been lost.
And while the reasons for this are nuanced and complex, there is no doubt that part of the blame falls on the church’s, perhaps innocent inability to highlight the beauty and truth of Christ’s call to discipleship in ways that resonate with young people.
Sorry, but I do not have faith in a reversal of this trend any time soon. I have exhausted alternatives in my time and have only to wait it out, praying for a shift in spiritual attitudes and the prevailing of God's will on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Granted, this is a sad commentary on the state of the world we live in today.
Church has become uncool for the younger generation! Maybe there is a better way and it will surface with the next generation. Some of us will never know.
I hesitate to get any more long-winded on this subject...I've been there and done that!
One has to be cognizant of attention spans --- and other priorities in life, especially when on a soap box or standing behind a pulpit on a Sunday morning.
One has to be cognizant of attention spans --- and other priorities in life, especially when on a soap box or standing behind a pulpit on a Sunday morning.
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