With Internet, TV, sports, school activities, friends, music lessons, and family, kids' lives today are pretty crowded. A survey done by the Barna Research Group (May 2003) revealed that 85 percent of parents of children under age 13 believe they have the primary responsiblity for teaching their children about religious beliefs and spiritual matters, and 96 percent believe it's their job to teach their children values.
But, "Related research revealed that a majority of parents do not spend any time during a typical week discussing religious matters or studying religious materials with their children" (Barna Research Online).
Clearly, the church has a role to play in the spiritual nurture of children but is it playing a role that effectively equips parents to fullfill their responsibility to train up their own children?
I'm chewing on the morsel of a proverb;
I'll let you in on the sweet old truths,
stories we heard from our fathers,
counsel we learned at our mother's knee.
We're not keeping this to ourselves,
we're passing it along to the next generation -
God's fame and fortune,
the marvelous things he has done.
He planted a witness in Jacob,
set his Word firmly in Israel,
then commanded our parents
to teach it to their children
so the next generation would know,
and all the generations to come -
know the truth and tell the stories
so their children can trust in God,
never forget the works of God
but keep his commands to the letter.
- Psalm 78:2-7, The Message
