Studies have shown that 70% of Christian raised young adults walk away from their faith shortly after graduating from high school. That means that only 30% continue their walk with Christ as young adults.
We are informing people about this problem, and challenging parents of preschool, elementary, junior high and high school students to intentionally prepare their children for the ultimate day when they graduate from high school—a time when they will be on their own, and will be responsible for their own decisions. Will they be among the 70% that walk away from God, or the 30% that stay in a relationship with Jesus Christ? What are you as parents doing right now to prepare them for that ultimate day?
Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it." What does it mean to "Train up a child in the way he should go?" As a parent, what steps can you take now, when your child is young, to prepare them?
Young Adults of Worth Ministries is bringing awareness to the issue, and we are challenging parents to intentionally train their children starting at a young age, in "the way they should go." We are calling them to parent in a Biblical way, not just on Sunday mornings, but all of the time.
We hope to help you in this journey, by providing Biblical guidance on what you can do to increase the chances of your child ending up in the 30%. No one can give you a magic formula or a guarantee; however, God gives us lots of parenting principles in His word. He does let us know what it means to "Train up a child in the way he should go."
raisedUP Articles
Below are recent articles from our blog to help you parent your child toward being part of the 30% that continue to walk with Christ as young adults.
Saying Goodbye
How do we say goodbye to a beloved family member, friend, mentor or pet? Their time on this earth might have been shortened by a sickness, or a surprise accident, or a natural disaster. Whatever the cause, they are with us any longer. How do we handle emotions of grief? Are our children able to express and release their grief in an appropriate manor?
Instructions for Children
Most of the advice we give is directed towards parents to help them understand what God and His Word say about parenting. This is great, and definitely needed in a time where Christianity is attacked seemingly everywhere, and at every angle. However, I think it is not only important for parents to understand what God expects of them, but for young children to know as well. Unfortunately most children do not fully understand God’s expectations and commands for them, relative to how they should treat their parents.
Coping With Stress as Modeled by Jesus
Parenting can be stressful. Life is stressful. Certainly there are moments of pleasure and peaceful relaxation, but the daily challenges of life can be significantly distressing. When adversity comes, our degree of happiness is determined by the attitudes we embrace. Let us ponder how Jesus modeled life, so that we can
Rest in Difficult Times
This will not contain many statements of what is wrong in this world, but of what is right! God so loved the world that He gave His one and Only Son…. John 3:16 God gave His One and Only Son For Us! Wow! Each day I live with what He has done for me personally, and my short fall of His extended Grace. That blows my mind every time I think about it. Growing up we always went to church. I wondered if everyone truly lived for the Lord. The many Sunday school lessons had me looking at others to see if they were good enough for Jesus. Of course, I did not
The Best Product Always Delivers
Let’s look at the products people are selling. For all of the products, there is always advertised a need that the product can fill. What is our need? What isn’t our need? Jesus satisfies many needs: loneliness, purpose, identity, joy, etc. However, when we feel those needs creep in, we are quick to run to easier, cheaper, faster substitutes. Instead of running to the cheaper options when the hunger hits, run to Him.
Raising Daughters
There are no passages that I know of, which specifically tells parents how to raise their daughters. There are many passages which give guidance on how to raise sons, but not daughters. So how do parents learn the best way to raise their daughters Biblically?
An Unforgettable Evening
We were blessed to have some eagles living in a tree in our back yard, who had some babies. One day around 4:00 pm I told my wife, “One of the eaglets has flown from the nest!” Sure enough, when we studied the nest a bit more with binoculars, it seemed as though there was only one eaglet left. Also inside the nest was the mother! She and the Dad had previously and conspicuously been missing from the nest in the recent last month, except to bring prey twice a day for the “kids”.
Half a Century
So earlier this month, I turned 50! When major milestones in our lives happen, like turning half a century, we are wise to stop and reflect on where we have been, where we are now, where we want to go, and most importantly, what type of legacy are we leaving behind.
Married or Single?
Since the beginning of time, God created Eve for Adam as a helper that would dispel his solitary world. We might live in a different time, but marriage still brings two lone individuals together. Obvious changes are made for each person. That does not mean the identity of each person is lost. However, a couple […]
When your child is in the 70%
Parenting toward the 30%, this is one of our largest aims as Christian parents. That our children would have a faith of their own, a faith that would last, long after leaving the nest. So we strive and we pray and try our best, but what happens when this is not the case. When our […]