WHAT I'D TELL PARENTS ABOUT FAMILY, CHURCH, & LOVING JESUS

After 25 years of being a senior pastor and 20 years of parenting, if I could tell parents anything that I've observed about raising kids to love Jesus and be strong in the church, I would say these things:

1. Make church a priority.  Attend church when the doors are open.  Don't let anything get in the way.  It isn't only something you practice.  It's something you'll hand off.

2. Let your kids see you worship.  Initiate.  Don't be passive.  Let them hear you pray, read the Scriptures, sing, and share your faith.  Not long ago, my kids remarked how that whenever I meet someone, I'm going to talk about Jesus, the church, helpng kids, or the missions work we love.  That perspective made me glad.  They hear what's important to me.

3. Speak faith at home.  Read the Scriptures together.  Listen to worship music as you go through your routine.  Don't save worship for Sundays.  Make it a part of your life.

4. Discipline behavior.  But, make your greatest aim handing off faith in Jesus and imparting the core truths and values of the Bible.

5. Be careful talking about church drama in front of your kids.  You unload and feel better.  They hear it without context and carry it for a long time.  

6. One of the biggest...Don't let a momentary frustration cause you to separate from the church, especially in the formative years of your children.  I can't tell you how many times, I've seen parents drop out of church attendance over a temporary frustration while their kids are going into their teenage years.  That's hard.  Often, the parents come back...and the kids have a hard time coming back.

7. Own your faith.  If you really love Jesus, it will show.  And, that's the greatest thing you can do for yourself and for your family.  

If we joyfully prioritize church and the Gospel, we are most likely to hand off to our children and onto their children.