Comments on: After Graduation, Then What?

By: Denise

Denise — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:22:28 +0000

I agree totally. Positive spiritual example is needed in the home as well at church.

By: MinTools

MinTools — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:35:18 +0000

Thank you, Denise. You certainly zeroed in on part of the problem. From what you wrote, perhaps churches need to do more to train parents to be parents in the biblical sense. God’s Word squarely places the responsibility for nurturing children/teens on parents (Deut. 6:5-9; Eph. 6:1-4) which most certainly could include getting them into growth opportunities as well as training in the home. And, it also would include parents being a model not only of “going to church” but valuing it enough to get the children there as well. We must, however, guard against simply dragging kids to church and being so consumed with ministry and programs in the church that little happens in the home and hence, end up having the opposite effect than what was hoped … causing children/teens to want no part of what their parents’ church lives were. What they need is a healthy example that draws them closer to God’s heart for the Church rather than repel them from it.

By: Denise

Denise — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:46:52 +0000

Dear MinTools:
I too applaud your work as you share your wisdom and knowledge with those of us who are seeking guidance on how to handle many of these situations that are new to us. Our youth are also leaving the Sunday School after graduation and we have been seeking ways to reach out to the young ones who are there now. Our understanding is that once the older kids leave – start having their own families – they do not address attending Sunday School/Church like our parents did with us. We were not asked or given a choice whether or not to attend Sunday School. Our parents went by the scripture – “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will depart from it.” And we do not regret that at all. Young parents today are more into being their child’s pal and not their parents. May you continually be spirit led.

By: Miami

Miami — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:38:45 +0000

I’m new to raising a kid. My sister went to a better place a 4 months back and because my nephew has never meet his real father, he wanted to move in with me. It wasn’t hard to say, yes. He is blood and I love the kid. I’m in search of everything I can find on the internet about parenting because I want to be the best uncle a kid can have so, thank you for the blog post and now I must move on to the next one.

By: MinTools

MinTools — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:19:02 +0000

If all the church has to offer young people is religion, I would certainly agree with you. Religion has little to offer but an institutionalized, lifeless organization made up of a bunch of rules and regulations. The true Christian Church, however, is the gathering together of people who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If the Church functions with Jesus as the Head, it is a living organism wherein people experience a purpose and power in coming together. They find grace and love, not legalism and condemnation. Unfortunately, too many churches have lost this focus and so when people, like yourself and perhaps some of these young people, look at the Church, they aren’t seeing that vitality and relevancy. If, however, we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and make it about Him, meeting together as the Church, people in love with Jesus, well … that’s not religion!

By: Lee Picton

Lee Picton — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:12:06 +0000

I am both a parent and a grandparent, and I applaud the way young people are leaving church. Maybe they have finally discovered that religion is ridiculous. We have the internet now, and you just can’t lie to them any more.

By: MinTools

MinTools — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:13:03 +0000

You are most welcome, Debbie. Thanks for your encouraging words. I pray the list of parenting curriculum will be helpful to many.