September 27, 2019

I will be in the church in 10 years... 

Children and teenagers from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) were asked why they would be in the church in 10 years. The National Study of Youth and Religion found that almost 60% of emerging adults made their first commitment to live their lives for God before the age of fourteen. (See footnote)

"I will be in the church when I’m older because of the relationships I make with people in the church. If the community and pastors are kind and helpful to me throughout my time at the church, then I’ll stay at the church."

"Why I will be in church when I grow up, I want to be in church when I grow up. I say want because I'm not sure if I will or not, but I do want to. Here are some reasons: The people you meet. The relationship with God. The worship. The music. To make sure my future children are faithful. Spending time with older and younger generations to learn experiences."

"I want to be a Christian."  

Psalm 78:1-4 (NRSV)
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and God's might, and the wonders that God has done.

(The Message)
Listen, dear friends, to God’s truth, bend your ears to what I tell you. I’m chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I’ll let you in on the sweet old truths, Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother’s knee. We’re not keeping this to ourselves, we’re passing it along to the next generation.

Weekly Scriptures
Read the weekly scripture each day. Find a phrase or word that speaks to you. Share your reflections with others over dinner, social media, and in prayer. Share the scripture with a child you know in the car, through a text, or in a children's Bible.

*Faith Formation with a New Generation by Lisa Brown, Tanya Eustace Campen, Lynn Barger Elliot, and Lee Yates
*National Study of Youth and Religion

*The view represented in these devotions come from a variety of diverse perspectives. We do not seek to agree but seek to welcome all to the conversation and the table.