Keeping Kids in Church: 3 Common Traits of Youth Who Stay

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Their parents punished them and held them accountable when they rebelled. They read the Bible after dinner every night. And their parents were tough but ultimately operated from a framework of grace. It held up the cross of Jesus as the basis for peace with God and forgiveness toward one another.

Keeping Kids in Church Isn’t a Formula

Kids from wonderful gospel-centered homes leave the church, pulling down youth church attendance. People from messed-up family backgrounds find eternal life in Jesus and have beautiful marriages and families. But it’s also not a crapshoot.

In general, kids love Jesus and stay in church when their parents lead them in faith during their growing-up years. These parents love Jesus vibrantly, serve their church actively and saturate their home with the gospel completely.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Those words of Proverbs 22:6 don’t constitute a formula that’s true 100 percent of the time. But they do provide a principle that comes from God’s gracious plan. Our God delights to see his gracious Word passed from generation to generation.

Youth pastors: Pray with all your might for true conversion; that is God’s work. Equip the saints for the work of the ministry; that is your work.

Parents: Preach the gospel and live the gospel for your children; our work depends on you.

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Jon Nielsonhttp://www.college-church.org/staff.php
Jon Nielson is the college pastor at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. Jon is currently working toward his Doctor of Ministry degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has authored two books: Bible Study: A Student’s Guide (P&R, 2013) and The Story: The Bible’s Grand Narrative of Redemption (P&R, 2014).

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