The fallout from our culture’s growing reality of biblical illiteracy hit me hard a couple of years ago when the day after Easter my daughter-in-law, an athletic trainer at a large suburban high school, shared with me a conversation she witnessed between a group of a dozen student athletes who were in the training room. Everyone was chatting about their Spring Break when one of the students asked, “What the heck is Easter about?? I know nothing.” Multiple kids agreed that they didn’t know the story, and some jokingly said, “I think it’s something about Jesus. . . maybe his birthday.”
How is it that we’ve gotten to the point where we’ve become ignorant to the meaning and significance of the most important moment in all of history? Regardless of the reason(s), the reality is that we can lead the children and teens we know and love into a deep, lasting, and life-changing understanding of what it is that we celebrate this month. While there is much more to the life, death, and resurrection of the God-Man Jesus Christ than we can cover here, we can help our kids understand what God accomplished through His self-sacrifice on the cross, and the salvation it makes possible for those who come by faith to God through His Son Jesus Christ.
We live in a day and age where an “Easter” word association game probably results in responses like bunnies, chocolate, eggs, and baskets. Let me suggest that during this month of celebrating Easter, you share four important words and their meaning with your children and teens. Each of these theological words is packed full of practical meaning that not only helps us understand the cross, but will fuel gratitude to God for the grace He has shown us through the events of that first Good Friday. Each of these words reveals an aspect of God’s answer for a particular human problem related to the fact that we are all sinners estranged from God because of our rebellion against Him. The Good News is this: because of the cross, we don’t get what we deserve!
What are these words? Propitiation, redemption, justification, and reconciliation. And in this month’s April 2022 edition of our popular parent ministry resource, the CPYU Parent Page, we equip parents with the knowledge they need to have good discussions that will guide their children and teens into understanding the power of the Cross and these four words.
Thanks to the vision of hundreds of youth workers and their churches for effective ministry to parents, 0ur monthly CPYU Parent Page is helping tens of thousands of parents understand and answer the cries of today’s rapidly changing youth culture. The CPYU Parent Page is a monthly newsletter designed by the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding to help keep parents informed about the latest happenings and trends in the world of youth culture. Churches and youth groups, Christian schools, and other youth organizations can subscribe to this easy-to-use resource and are encouraged to distribute it to the parents of their teens. Individuals may also subscribe.
Each issue will be delivered via e-mail and available in two formats. A digital online format ideal for reading on your computer screen, tablet, or mobile phone, plus as a downloadable PDF that can be printed, copied, e-mailed, or even mailed!
Besides a lead article on “Teaching Easter” with those four very important words regarding what happened at the Cross, this month’s edition includes:
- a youth culture “Hot Quote” to spark discussion between parents and their kids.
- insights into the rise of Fentanyl abuse among teens.
- a discussion on how to think about the word “religion.”
- thoughts on the decline in teen reading and how to get kids reading again.
- some quick youth culture stats.
- a list of the Top 10 songs popular among kids this month.
- insights on the importance and benefits of knowing your teenager’s friends.
- a monthly “From The Word” practical and hope-filled look at a Bible passage.
- suggested parenting resources.
- and more. . .
To learn more about monthly CPYU Parent Page and to subscribe for the parents in your church, just click here.