According to a 2016 survey by Lifeway Research, the spiritual activity with the most impact on long-term children’s spiritual health is Bible reading. “A child who reads his Bible regularly while growing up has 12.5% stronger spiritual health as a young adult.” Director of LifeWay Kids Jana Magruder says in order of impact the ten most significant influences on children’s enduring spiritual health are Bible reading, prayer, serving in church, Christian music, participating in mission trips, interest level in church, the godly influence of others, the faith nurturing effect of parents, gender a ..read more

We require urgent action in family faith formation! I’m a Boomer who came to faith in Christ two weeks before my nineteenth birthday. As a young Christian adult, it was customary for me to regularly attend church services and meetings several times a week. It’s different today. Sunday evening church services are as rare as hen’s teeth. Mid-week children’s programs compete with other interests (dance, sports, tutoring, etc.). And “regular” church attendance is coming to church three out of eight weekends. With the decline in attendance at church services and meetings, one would assume that Chri ..read more

What does it take to engage children in a lifetime of faith? Is it Bible study, prayer, engaging in worship, talking about God, serving others, being part of a faith community, or building relationships with other Christians? Is it teaching a Christian worldview, helping children walk in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, telling them what you believe, or modelling a godly example? We can do all of the above and still come up short. Children can sing choruses, attend youth groups, pray for the healing of the sick, memorize Scripture, learn doctrine, or care for the poor, yet still walk ..read more

The missional family … Every Christian family should be a lighthouse to reflect Jesus to the world (cf. Matthew 5:14-16). American theologian and ethicist Russell D. Moore says the Christian family is to effect “consciences and personalities and souls … transforming how countless people see God, the Gospel, and themselves … [by seeing] a reflection of something of what God is like.” So, how do families reflect what Jesus is like? By being intentionally missional. How to be a missional family. Here’s what you do: Start a conversation at home. Being a missional family begins with asking and answ ..read more

Lost in secular waters Children from Christian homes are being confounded, confused, and corrupted by secularism. Floundering in the muddied waters of humanistic indoctrination, many aren’t embracing truth. Tragically, two out of three of them leave the church when they’re young adults. Do we want our children to know God’s truth and live it out daily? If we do, we can’t continue to send them to secular teachers to be taught and raised in the ways of the world. We become what we learn (cf. Luke 6:40). It’s time for change; we must reclaim and reboot the pursuit of truth to secure our children ..read more

Defining intergenerational ministry is an essential first step in doing intergenerational ministry. So, let’s consider what it is. What is intergenerational ministry? Intergenerational ministry is different age groups intentionally cooperating to connect with each other, with Jesus and with His Story. To elaborate: Intergenerational ministry is different age groups … The building block of intergenerational ministry is different age groups interacting to love and live for Jesus. Ideally, it’s significant connections between older, middle and younger generations. Yet it’s more than different age ..read more

Building stronger congregations Unlocking the future … Do you want church health and growth? Do you want young adults to stay in church? Do you want to reach the least, the lost and the lonely? Do you want a church united and stronger than ever? Church revitalization takes more than slick programs, dynamic preaching, or impactful worship experiences. Churches can invest in excellent facilities, use the latest audio-visual technology, employ dedicated staff, or institute church growth principles, yet still see declining attendance, half-empty classrooms, and lacklustre involvement. Hundreds of ..read more

There are numerous parenting strategies, philosophies, styles, techniques and methodologies. But the question for Christian parents shouldn’t be, should I use the RIE method, the three C’s technique or the authoritative parenting style? Secular ideas and beliefs won’t produce godly offspring. To raise God-loving children, we must raise them in God’s way. So how do we do this? Here are some insights about parenting children God’s way: You’re not in charge. Resist the inclination to take the lead. It’s not about what you want for yourself and your children but what God wants. He’s in charge. He ..read more

Helpful or harmful Navigating AI and faith … Technological progress can be wonderfully helpful. In 1440, the invention of the Gutenberg printing press facilitated the mass production of Bibles – making them accessible and affordable. In recent years, the internet and mobile phones have been used for live-streaming services, sermon podcasts, downloading the Bible in different languages, and much more. Today, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing the capabilities of machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Technology is used for good, but it can also be us ..read more

Initiating intergenerational ministry From age-isolated to age-integrated. How do you go about initiating intergenerational ministry in your church? Before answering this question, let’s define intergenerational ministry … Intergenerational ministry is two or more age groups intentionally cooperating in worshiping, witnessing and working together to connect people with Jesus and His Story. It’s where the experiences, voices and contributions of each generation are genuinely listened to and valued. It’s all ages welcomed, invigorated and engaged to reach, rescue, root and release one another to ..read more