Insights for parenting a new generation
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Drew, a Gen Zer, was raised in a Christian home. His parents divorced when he was 11, and as Drew entered his teen years, he developed serious anxiety. Drew continued to pray and attend church, but one day he was struck with these thoughts: Is what I believe even true? I’ve prayed and tried to grow in my faith, but none of it seems to matter.
From that point forward, Drew began to retreat from any activities related to faith. He decided that he was no longer a practicing Christian.
De-conversions like Drew’s don’t always make headlines, but they do leave scars. Countless parents have firsthand experience watching their teens and adult children join the growing number of Christian dissenters.
Many parents believe in God, trust Jesus Christ as Savior and rely on the Bible as the Word of God, yet they lack the knowledge and skill to adequately articulate to their children why they believe. Christian parents in general tend to assume that their children have a proper understanding of God, but that’s not always the case. Many teens and college students have a
distorted or negative view of God. Maybe they haven’t received proper teaching about God or perhaps they’ve picked up a few wrong opinions along the way.
You may be wondering, How can I faithfully equip my children to believe in Christianity with confidence?
Here are some ways to talk to your kids about God, faith and the Bible:
Patience. Be patient and avoid making assumptions about your kids.
Start where you’re at.
Recognize you don’t need a theology degree to talk to your kids about God. If you do want to sharpen your knowledge, learn from resources such as The Case for Christ for Kids by Lee Strobel, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Norman Geisler or the Foundation Worldview website. Then take time to read passages in the Bible about the nature of God, such as Romans 1:20, Romans 5:8, and 1 John 4:8.
A great way to start the conversation with your kids is by asking them simple questions to get a feel for what they know (or don’t know) about the topic:
• “Who do you think God is?”
• “What do you know about God?”
• “What does the Bible say about God?”
• “Why can’t we see God?”
• “Are there ways we can know that God is with us?”
Use everyday interactions to continue discussions about God. For your older Gen Zers, go deeper with them by examining proper theology about God. Consider preparing yourself for questions they might ask by going through.
Does God Exist? with Dr. Stephen Myers, reading Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers or watching The Truth Project.
Parents need to model their faith consistently, with passion and with conviction. Gen Z is desperate for guidance, for inspiration. The more your children learn about Jesus, the more their lives will change for the better.
Jason Jimenez is a pastor, Christian apologist and the founder of STAND STRONG Ministries. He is a widely recognized worldview expert who specializes in cultural, philosophical, theological and religious issues, and, as a national speaker, addresses numerous topics including religious freedom, Islam, same-sex marriage and the reliability of the Bible.
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