Today's kids are being raised by the Millennials. Let's take a look at what these young parents are teaching their children.
74% of Millennial parents agree or somewhat agree with the statement, “Whatever is right for your life or works best for you is the only truth you can know.” 51% of Millennials say moral truth is relative.
So if today's kids are being raised without the absolute truth of God, what is it being replaced with? What are they being taught? Barna's team says absolute truth is being replaced with the morality of self-fulfillment. This new morality can be summed up in 6 key principles.
#1 - The best way to find yourself is by looking within yourself.
#2 - People should not criticize someone else's life choices.
#3 - To be fulfilled in life, you should pursue the things you desire the most.
#4 - The highest goal in life is to enjoy it as much as possible.
#5 - People can believe whatever they want, as long as it doesn't affect society.
#6 - Any kind of sexual expression between two consenting adults is acceptable.
Under the guise of "self-fulfillment" kids are being led down a path described in Proverbs 14:12.
"There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death."
I can't begin to tell you how important your ministry is. The future of the next generation is at stake. You are needed more than ever to teach kids and parents that the source of truth is God and His Word.
How can you accomplish this? What's the secret to reaching a generation of kids and parents who don't believe in absolute truth? Ephesians 4:15 tells us. It says we must speak the truth in love. As we show kids and parents the love of Jesus, it will open their hearts to receive the truth of Jesus. Just like an airplane needs both wings to fly, we must have truth and love to reach today's kids and parents. Jesus is our example in this...the Bible says He was full of grace and truth.
Today's kids and parents won't be reached by standing on a street corner waving a Bible and yelling the truth at them. They will be reached by people who serve them with the unconditional love of Christ and earn the right to be heard.
These findings are also a great reminder of the importance of children's ministry leaders giving renewed focus to discipling and equipping the young Millennial parents who are in our churches. If we want kids to have the foundation of absolute truth, it will have to come from their parents.
We must also more than ever be laser-focused in what we are teaching kids in the short time with have with them at church. Our curriculum must be very intentional about communicating the core absolute truths of God's Word. This is not the time to haphazardly and randomly pick curriculum. We must start with the end in mind. What are the absolute truths that we want kids to know and believe when they leave our ministry? Our curriculum must be the pathway that takes kids to those absolute truths.
It's easy to look at stats like you read above and get discouraged...wonder if you're really making any difference...contemplate giving up.
Don't. Remember...the darker the light...the brighter the light. The absolute truths of God's Word is what kids and families need. It's their only hope. It's our nation's only hope. It's our world's only hope. And God wants to use you to bring that hope. Stand by the truth. Love people to the truth. Share the truth. Believe the truth. Watch people be set free by the truth. It's the only absolute in a world that is desperately searching to fill the void that is left without it.
