A letter to our churches

Churches,

This is a word that’s been stirring in my heart for quite some time, but I finally feel the boldness to put it into words.

Our kids are walking through very real, very hard things in their physical world — and in their spiritual world, the battle is even more intense. The enemy wants to destroy them. If he can distract them, or get them quoting cute little phrases but not ever experiencing true life change, he has them exactly where he wants them.

Churches, we are not doing this next generation any favors by striving to be relevant and inclusive while neglecting the gospel.

Our kids are being influenced more by social media than by anything else. They spend most of their waking hours at school, and what’s left is often swallowed by their devices. They get very little time at home — and practically no time at church. The world is doing an excellent job of offering them nothing of lasting value.

The family has been hijacked and replaced with segregation, overscheduled lives, and exhausted working parents. Many parents are counting on the church to feed their children spiritually. But when those children step into church for an hour and a half on Sunday, what are we truly giving them?

In my experience — after reviewing dozens of children’s church curriculums — I see media-driven, over-stimulating lessons that, in the effort to seem relevant or entertaining, are sloppily tying abstract object lessons to Bible stories in ways that barely connect. Bible studies feel “too slow-paced,” so they’re rushed through on a surface level and capped off with additional loosely related activities.

And because we fear kids won’t come back if it isn’t “fun enough,” we end with fast-paced games that leave everyone overstimulated — right before sending them home.

Church. This is a crisis.

We need to remember that Jesus is enough.

We don’t need to “sell” Him or make Him look more appealing. We don’t need to add to Him or tone Him down. We simply need to present Jesus — clearly, confidently, and with conviction. Prepare well. Know your lesson. Teach with enthusiasm. And then trust Him to take care of the rest. Let Him be enough.

It’s time to unsubscribe from the gimmicks.
Have Bible study with your teachers. Teach them how to teach from the Bible.

This may sound harsh, but I say this with all love: if a volunteer isn’t willing to prepare before Sunday morning, they shouldn’t be teaching. We would never want a pastor who steps into the pulpit unprepared, or a worship leader who wings it without practice. Why should our children’s teachers — who are shaping hearts for eternity — be any different?

Kids are worth the investment.
These are the future men and women, moms and dads, leaders and missionaries of the next generation.
Their discipleship is now.

Give. Them. Jesus.