What might parents do?

Survey question: What might parents do to help their children develop in their faith lives? (Parents’ answers)

PRAY – model church involvement, small groups, participating in their faith journey.

It is really important to go to church, regularly, every Sunday, with both parents. Don’t just “attend,” but be involved. And it is important to be consistent with what is learned in church. If a family attends church, but their lives are a contradiction to what was heard in church by the children, it will certainly create confusion. Practice what is preached.

The best way to teach faith is for parents to model faith by living by faith. This then becomes part of the family culture. Christ is the personal Savior of each of our three kids and they learned early on to consult him regarding all aspects of their lives through prayer and praise.

We gave our kids the foundation and it is up to them to decide what the Bible says to them personally.

In our family, church was and is a given that they would join me for church each week. During a divorce when the girls were 7 and 10 years old, we never missed church, and we would talk about God’s help He was giving us to be a strong family of three instead of a family of four. I think over time this impacted how my daughters felt and learned about faith. We talked about it and we did our best to live it. I also remember the girls looking forward to seeing their grandparents and cousins at church each week. I’m sure that made going a bit more palatable.

Run away from legalism, and allow the children to develop their own faith with guidance.

Surround them with good people of faith; participate as a family in your faith community.

Also sharing with them how faith helped them (the parents) through difficult times.

Pray for them. My children’s acceptance of Christ as Savior is their personal decision, one I cannot make for them. The development of faith in an individual’s life is the result of their response to the call of the Holy Spirit, so I pray that my children’s hearts might be open, I pray for the call of God on their lives.

Let them see you reading the Bible and praying besides at the dinner table. Have daily devotions every day they are in the house. Attend a church with a good youth program devoted to youth growing in the Lord. Keep them involved even when they are “bored.” Send them to church camp. Give them every opportunity to experience Christianity: concerts, camps, mission trips.

Children need to attend church with their parents, receive developmentally appropriate religious education from knowledgeable teachers and have meaningful discussions with others. They need to see others (parents included) exhibit their faith daily in word and deed. This is not always easy – I am very imperfect.


From Families Living in the Fabric of Faithfulness, which may be downloaded free of charge from the following website:
www.whitworth.edu/livinginthefabric