A recent report from Ligonier Ministries revealed that 30% of Evangelicals do not believe Jesus was God and 65% believe Jesus was created by God.
Just to clarify, this was not research gathered from the unchurched. It was from "Bible believing" churches that are supposedly guided by the doctrines taught in Scripture.
This being the case, we have a lot of work to do. Especially when we keep in mind that there are generations coming behind us that desperately need to know the doctrines of the faith.
“…It’s
clear that the church does not have the luxury of idly standing by.
This is a time for Christians to study Scripture diligently, engage
confidently with people in our culture, and witness fearlessly to the
identity and saving work of Jesus Christ in the gospel.” Dr. Stephen Nichols
And it must start in the next generation's early years. Yes...children need to be taught doctrine. Without it, their faith will crumble as they grow older.
Wake up call. We can teach a lot of different things to the next generation. But one thing we can't afford to leave out are the great doctrines of the faith. These doctrines are anchors of our faith and must be passed on to those coming behind us.
I want you to encourage you to take a hard look at what you are teaching the kids in your ministry. Are you teaching them to be good? Are you spending a month teaching them that they need to have responsibility? Do this and don't be surprised when they end up walking away from the church because we didn't adequately prepare them to know and believe the doctrines our faith rests upon.
As they grow up, they won't be questioned about being responsible. In college, they won't enter a debate about being good.
What they will have to be prepared to defend is why they believe the Bible is God's Word. Why they believe Jesus was God. Why they believe in the Trinity. Why they believe the church is what God wants to do His work through. Why they believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven.
Time is short. Before we turn around, the next generation will be grown. What will they believe? What will they be able to defend? What will they believe about God's Word?
As church leaders, we have been granted by God, an opportunity to pass on the faith to the next generation of parents and their children. We can't...we must not...miss this opportunity. Too much is at stake.
I want to encourage you to take a hard look at what you are teaching. Is it teaching kids doctrine? What is the focus? What is the pathway it is taking them down? Is it time for a change?
I'd like to encourage you to check out Connect12. Connect12 is a 12 month curriculum for elementary kids. It focuses on teaching kids doctrine and apologetics. And it includes the fun factor that will captivate kids' attention and engage them in the lesson.
Here are a couple of examples. This clip is from a series called Pranksters. Pranksters helps kids see that there will be people who will try to prank them and tell them the Bible is not God's Word. It prepares kids to defend their faith. (If you are reading this through email and can't see the video clip, you can go to this link to see it. )
Here's another series that teaches kids about the doctrine of God. Here's a clip to check it out. (If you are reading this in an email and can't see the video - here is the link to watch it).
If you'd like more information about this teaching strategy, you can see all the series by clicking on the Connect12 below. And....you also can get an Easter and Christmas lesson as well. Connect12 starts with salvation and takes kids on a pathway that ends up with spiritual leadership.
If you have questions or would like to talk more about this, feel free to contact me at dale@buildingchildrensministry.com.
