Every year, I get the joy and privilege of teaching young people about the content of their faith. At the end of our time together, they get to confirm that they believe the faith into which they were baptized, and they also get to acknowledge that they are ready and willing to take responsibility for their faith life. Mom and dad no longer are to be the driving force for their continued presence with God's people, and in coming with God's people to receive His grace.
One of the things that I have noticed over the years is the difference in how serious the parents take this education. It probably shouldn't be that big of a surprise to see that the parents who took it seriously tend to have kids that are more prepared to take up the responsibility of their faith life. Those parents who didn't take it seriously, or who just made efforts to drop their kids off and that was it, well, in the end, those kids tended to be the ones that wandered furthest away. While there are exceptions to each of these, the general pattern speaks pretty powerfully that the commitment of the parents will tend to have a rather large emphasis on what happens with the kids.
In writing the Small Catechism, Martin Luther wanted to have the people of Germany become knowledgeable about their faith. And in the writing of the Small Catechism, he makes it very plain that this knowledge is not to come primarily from the pastor or the priest. It's the responsibility of the head of the household. Each section begins with "As the head of the household should teach his family in a simple way", or something along those lines. Parents who take the education of their kids seriously tend to have kids that also take their education seriously.
Sadly, in our day and age, Christian education seems to be simply one more thing among the many choices that are available for kids. Even more sadly, more and more parents are letting the kids be the ones who do the primary choosing of these. What becomes important is what the kid wants, rather than what the parent thinks would be most beneficial. And what kid is ever going to choose a class over soccer, or baseball, or football, or whatever other activity there is? The role of the parent is of the same importance that it always has been.
I'm always looking for good ideas on how to encourage parents in this, and to emphasize the importance of their say-so in their kids activities. If anyone has any good suggestions, I'm always open to hearing them!
One of the things that I have noticed over the years is the difference in how serious the parents take this education. It probably shouldn't be that big of a surprise to see that the parents who took it seriously tend to have kids that are more prepared to take up the responsibility of their faith life. Those parents who didn't take it seriously, or who just made efforts to drop their kids off and that was it, well, in the end, those kids tended to be the ones that wandered furthest away. While there are exceptions to each of these, the general pattern speaks pretty powerfully that the commitment of the parents will tend to have a rather large emphasis on what happens with the kids.
In writing the Small Catechism, Martin Luther wanted to have the people of Germany become knowledgeable about their faith. And in the writing of the Small Catechism, he makes it very plain that this knowledge is not to come primarily from the pastor or the priest. It's the responsibility of the head of the household. Each section begins with "As the head of the household should teach his family in a simple way", or something along those lines. Parents who take the education of their kids seriously tend to have kids that also take their education seriously.
Sadly, in our day and age, Christian education seems to be simply one more thing among the many choices that are available for kids. Even more sadly, more and more parents are letting the kids be the ones who do the primary choosing of these. What becomes important is what the kid wants, rather than what the parent thinks would be most beneficial. And what kid is ever going to choose a class over soccer, or baseball, or football, or whatever other activity there is? The role of the parent is of the same importance that it always has been.
I'm always looking for good ideas on how to encourage parents in this, and to emphasize the importance of their say-so in their kids activities. If anyone has any good suggestions, I'm always open to hearing them!
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