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It's really no wonder, then, that when you talk to pastors or other church leaders about the most negative influence on children today, 65 percent of protestants and 50 percent of Catholics say education. The Barna Group wasn't exactly surprised to poll spiritual leaders and see that only parents and peers had as much influence on this generation as the schools. But what does that mean for families? On Monday night's "Washington Watch," I talked with the group's Senior Vice President for Research, Brooke Hempell, to find out.
"Kids spend the majority of their waking hours in a school context. And... the time they spend in a church setting, is remarkably unbalanced. So we were trying to understand what pastors think about that and the nature of their recommendations to parents -- many of whom are really wrestling with, 'Where do I need to be educating my child if I want them to grow in their faith?'"
As we know from the culture today, a lot of what the public schools teach runs counter to what moms and dads are trying to instill at home. "[These spiritual leaders]," Brooke explains, "don't believe schools are necessarily responsible for spiritual formation, but they do have an impact ... There are certainly places where the teaching is very clearly focused on a secular worldview. And parents see this and know their kids are going to be learning something very different than what they hear at church."
But as much as this is an indictment of the liberal school system, it's also an opportunity for the church. Parents, Brooke points out, are really looking for more guidance. The world is changing rapidly, and moms and dads are "having to answer some difficult questions about scriptures and the reason for faith -- and [they're] not always equipped to have these conversations." A lot of church leaders make the mistake of thinking that they've address kids' needs by having Sunday school or a weekly youth group or Vacation Bible School. But the reality is, parents want their pastors and leaders to engage more directly in the spiritual formation of their kids. Maybe that means preaching on more timely moral issues or facilitating more conversations between parents and kids. Whatever it looks like, families are desperate for a more deliberate counter-balance to what their sons and daughters are getting from the culture.
"Just given the fast-changing nature of the world around us, parents are really hungry for equipping. And they know it has to be something different than what they had when they grew up, because we're operating in another context now. The questions their kids have are really different than the questions they had at the same age." In this day and age, I know some pastors are tempted to stay silent. They're worried about stepping on people's toes or creating controversy. But for the sake of the next generation, we need to encourage -- and take part in -- a more active community of church-led spiritual engagement. I don't know about you, but I don't want the public schools informing my teenagers' values!
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
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"More University Corruption" - Walter E. Williams: Mar 27, 2019; https://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2019/03/27/more-university-corruption-n2543687
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PRAYER MATTERS:
"To clasp the
hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the
disorder of the world." -
Karl Barth; "Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible
situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect
will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is the one of
the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer." - Stan
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Praying Through the Open Doors
World Watch List for persecuted believers:https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/
In March, Open Doors is focusing on rebuilding hope for
the church in the Middle East . This
month, we invite you to pray specific and informed prayers for believers
in Iraq and Syria
we
remember our brothers and sisters in these extremely volatile areas.
March 27 | ARABIAN PENINSULA - Pray for the community and safety of believers where Islam is the dominating religion. Pray that God would strengthen their ties and give them safe ways to secretly meet and fellowship.
*Names changed to protect identities
*Names changed to protect identities
This article is a nice wake-up call for churches to get more involved in 1) fighting the secular worldview taught in schools, 2) facilitating parents and children to discuss issues and values that may conflict with what is learned in school, and 3) become up-to-date on the questions and challenges that today's children face, which are different from what children faced years ago.
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