The church has a problem.
The younger generation is walking away from their faith upbringing. This is happening for various reasons, but one of the main ones is that kids do not own their faith. They aren't taking ownership because they don't have the tools to do so.
What's the solution?
One of the solutions to this problem is to involve parents more in the discipleship process. Equip them with the tools they need to disciple their children. Then, everyone in your church is on the same page, making things much easier for parents and kids alike. Owning your faith leads to lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.
"But wait, as a pastor, I don't have time for another program!" I understand, and as a Pastor, I don't either. And to be honest, neither do the families that are a part of your church. Still, the problem of kids growing up in the church and walking away from their faith is glaring.
The solution is not just another program.
The answer is in changing how you do church. As you do, you will empower and partner with the parents and families in your church to disciple their kids.
A simple solution is to teach all age groups the same Biblical topic each weekend but in age-appropriate environments with age-appropriate Biblical teachings. All ages learn from the same primary scripture with the same main thought. For instance, all ages could be remembering this simple Biblical principle: "Don't be afraid, just have faith." The key verse for the weekend for all ages could be Jesus' words in Luke 8:50 "Don't be afraid. Just have faith…" Age-appropriate messages/lessons around this and the context in which Jesus spoke it.
Changing the conversation on the car ride home and throughout the week.
Imagine on the car ride home, at the dinner table throughout the week, in moments of stress and pressure that families are all talking and encouraging one another with One Voice. "Don't be afraid, just have faith." Imagine that the entire church is focused on this one thought for the other 167 hours a week, allowing God to transform them by changing the way they think. Imagine that every person of all ages would have a daily reading with a daily verse and a memory verse for the week. All pointing back toward the weekend talk of Jesus' words, "Don't be afraid, just have faith." Imagine that your small Groups material would point toward going deeper in living this out at all ages.
The benefits of teaching with One Voice.
When the church teaches all age groups the same thing in age-appropriate ways, it paves the way for parents to disciple their kids. Kids can own their faith and follow Jesus Christ when they have the tools to do so. In addition, unified teaching with one focus yet age-appropriate will bring unity to the entire congregation. As a result, you will save time for yourself, your staff, and your volunteers.
At One Voice, we are passionate about helping you and your church deal with the problem of kids growing up in your church and walking away from their faith. That's why we do what we do. We come alongside you with unified Biblical teaching that is age-appropriate, so you and your church empower and enlist parents to walk successfully in their God-given role of disciplining their children.