One of the most challenging issues Christian parents contact us about is discipleship of their own children. Many moms and dads don’t feel qualified to share their faith effectively.
Do you fear miscommunicating the Gospel and leading your kids astray? Was discipleship never modeled for you growing up? Do you believe that the Church and Sunday school should be enough to teach your kids about their faith?
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Helping Your Child Build a Lifelong Faith” we’re addressing those concerns and encouraging you to take up this responsibility. Because there is no more effective witness to your children than you.
Our guests are Valerie Bell and Matt Markins, the CEO and the president of Awana, which provides evangelism and discipleship to children between the ages of 2 and 18. Together they’ve written a book called Resilient: Child Discipleship and the Fearless Future of the Church.
Tragically, each of the following factors contribute to the alarming number of teens who drop out of regular church engagement during their young adult years:
- Family breakdown – approximately 45+ percent of children are living in families broken by divorce; more than 20 million kids (in America alone) experience fatherlessness.
- Screen discipleship – 8-12-year-olds spend an average of 6 hours per day on screens; teenagers spend an average of 9 hours per day.
- Church in decline – on average, the typical family in America only spends a total of 24 hours in church every year and research shows a growing population of people who identify as “nones” in terms of their religious affiliation.
We want to help equip you to disciple your children, help them grow in their faith, and become disciple-makers themselves!
Join us on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.
Helping children engage their faith is one reason why Focus on the Family promotes Bring Your Bible to School Day every year in October. We anticipate hundreds of thousands of students, from grade school through college will celebrate Bring Your Bible to School Day tomorrow on October 7th.
We also have monthly “Live it Challenges” for your family, which give you and your kids an opportunity to study God’s Word in-depth and apply godly principles to your everyday life. Click here for more details about our “Live It Challenges.”
While you’re here online, take our free parenting assessment. It will quickly give you an overview of how your family is doing in several key areas. It will also offer suggestions on how you can improve the relationships in your home.
I’d also like to extend an invitation for you to become a special partner with us through our monthly “Friends of Focus on the Family” program. When you do, I’ll send you a copy of Valerie Bell and Matt Markins’ book Resilient: Child Discipleship and the Fearless Future of the Church as a way of saying thank you for touching others with the love of Christ. You’ll also receive member-exclusive benefits. To make your pledge, or for more information, visit our website or call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
Sign up for the weekly e-newsletter
Leave a Reply