Almost Christian 4

All this week we’re looking at issues related to the faith of teenagers, as reported in Kenda Creasy Dean’s book, Almost Christian – What the faith of our teenagers is telling the American Church. Creasy Dean says our kids have adopted a belief system in which they believe they have to be good people, that life is about feeling good, and that God waits in the wings to help them when they need it. But where did they learn this? She says that most U.S. teens mirror their parents’ religious faith. Teenagers actually conform to the religious beliefs and practices they’ve seen modeled by their parents. Parents matter most in the spiritual formation of their kids. Yes, the church and youth pastor are influential, but it is parents who matter most. Parents, are you pursuing a faith shaped by the truths of God’s Word? Or is it some kind of mutation that doesn’t reflect true discipleship?