January 09, 2004

The Future Church

This is primarily about my church, the Church of God, Universal, that I attend on a regular basis. Perhaps you'll be able to find something in this applicable to your church or your family, and perhaps not.

A few years ago, I looked at the young people's group in our church and could not help but notice that it seemed to be dwindling. It seemed that for more and more of the church youth, as they got older, the world was offering more than they thought the church had to offer. Ten or so years have gone by, and now as I look at our church, I'm hesistantly hopeful for the future where once I'd felt that the end was approaching each time and older saint passed away.

First, some young people that once turned away from the Gospel, the truth, and the church, are returned and once again turning their hearts and lives over to God. But what is, to me, more encouraging and exciting is seeing the new young people—the children—taking an active and interested part in the services. I see them opening their hymnals and trying to sing along. I see them looking at their parents, and when their parents raise their hands, the kids raise their hands. I see little ones not being afraid or embarrassed to request prayer. I see positive peer pressure among the children.

Perhaps one thing that has caused me to think about these things has been observing my little neice, Lauren, begin to grow up. She's talking now, more from the time I left for Louisiana til the time I got back. But it's a continual source of amazement to me to see how quickly she, and other small children, pick up on the words, phrases, and actions that see adults do or hear them say.

It becomes clearer then—a little less surprising—as to why ever younger and younger children do and say the things they do. Yes, society is corrupt: the media and entertainment industries in particular are providing an intensely negative on children and young people, while politically correct organizations are working harder and harder to remove any positive or moral influence from their lives. But to blame these factors alone for the lifestyles of modern children and young adults is to blame only half of the problem.

The single greatest point of potential influence on a young person's life is in the home. Studies have shown that when kids know their parents strongly disapprove of alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, or illicit sexual behavior, they are significantly less likely to participate in these activites. But if the parents disapprove and fail to communicate that to their children, or worse, if they fail to set the example themselves, the children are significantly more likely to experiment with alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs if offered the opportunity.

On the one hand, then, it's exciting to see children, the future of the church, raising their hands and participating in the services. It really brings me (and others, I'm sure) hope for the future of the church. But if the church and, more importantly, the parents in our homes aren't there to strengthen these children, to build them up, to give them a strong, clear sense of right and wrong, how will they be able to resist temptation and stand for the truth when the time comes—and it will come.

Without weapons or armor, a soldier isn't very well-prepared for battle. Weapons without training are almost as useless.

So I'm praying for our children, yes, but mostly I'm praying for their parents that they might thoroughly equip their soldiers-to-be with the training they'll need to stand and fight for the truth.

Posted by Walt at January 9, 2004 11:33 PM | TrackBack
Comments