Shelbyville Daily Union

Ask the Pastor

August 11, 2011

Ask the Pastor

Chase Smith, pastor Fellowship Baptist Church, Shelbyville CNHI

SHELBYVILLE, IL. — What responsibilities do parents have in their child’s spirituality?

 

I love cooking shows, my kids do not, but because I watch cooking shows, they do. The other day my children were repeating instructions from a cooking show I was watching (order up, stir 20 times, that’s burnt). It was cute but brought up a good point, kids like what parents like, and they don’t like what parents don’t like.

Every parent teaches spirituality in some way, even if they don’t go to church. If they don’t go to church they are teaching their children to not obey God, not respect God, and that fellowship with other believers is not necessary. If they go to church, they are teaching their child at the very least, to respect God enough to attend on Sunday mornings. But what if that’s all that parents do? What if all parents do is to take them to church on Sunday mornings and maybe Wednesday nights and have no more religious discussions with them? The kids are going to be lost, only getting maybe 1 hour of religious training a week concentrated with in two separate days.

Parents are told in Deuteronomy 6 to train up a child in the Lord, teaching them at every turn, when they rise and walk or when they lie and sit. Our job as parents is to teach them about things that matter, and the most important thing that matters is God. We take time to teach them to throw a ball, mow the grass, brush their teeth, but when it comes to God, most parents step back and leave it to the “professionals.” Parents, you are the professionals, it’s time to step up and train your child in the way they should go, so when they get older, they wont depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).

Studies show that after a teen leaves the house for college or career after attending church that 60-70% of them will not attend church on a regular basis, and those are conservative numbers.      Ask yourself, if my child were to leave right now, what kind of religious impact have I given to them? It is never too late to start, and if you have questions on how to start, let me know, I would love to guide you in that journey.



Chase Smith is the pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Shelbyville. For more information from Chase or the church call 774-3636 or visit www.fellowshipinshelbyville.com.

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