Recent news of Christian college closures has some Christian parents worried about fewer options for their teenagers currently in high-school. An article at World Opinions talks about the coming demographic cliff triggered by the 2008 subprime mortgage collapse. Like so many dominoes falling, the ensuing global financial crisis led to the loss of millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in household net worth. The drop in wages caused insecurity resulting in far fewer babies being born. Now, nearly 18 years later, colleges are seeing a significant drop-off in enrollment.
It’s understandable that population decline is worrisome for college administrators, and society as a whole, but that’s not the focus for Christian parents. Parents’ prayers should be that their children—whether they go to college, join the military, or pursue a trade—won’t fall over a spiritual cliff but will hold fast to Christ.
Last Sunday the pastoral prayer at our church included requests for God’s blessing on the high school graduates in our congregation who will soon be heading off to college. His focus wasn’t their academic success but their spiritual endurance.
College Can Reveal Shallow Faith
Jesus tells us that those who truly belong to Him will never fall away–even those who go to secular state universities (John 6:37). Of those kids who “lose their faith” in college, might it be more accurate to say that the pressures and pleasures of college life revealed what was really there all along? Children with shallow spiritual roots may prove to be like those in Jesus’ parable of the soils who have joy over spiritual truth but fall away during times of testing (Luke 8:11-15). Seeds lightly sown in childhood may be snatched away by the evil one or, like those sown among rocky soil, choked by the cares, riches, and pleasures of campus life.
The Role of Parents and Churches in Spiritual Maturity
We aren’t responsible for how our children respond to our discipleship, but we will give an account to God for how and what we teach them. Parents are God’s normal means for passing the Christian faith from one generation to the next. The church also has the opportunity to provide encouragement and training for parents, as well as weekly formal instruction for children and youth.
Why Equipping Children for College Begins Now
Eighteen years sounds like a long time—until you start thinking about all the things you need to teach a child before he leaves home. How do you know if you're doing the right things to lead your children to saving faith? We can help with resources that teach the whole counsel of God over the course of childhood and into the teenage years, including:
- What's in the Bible and who the Bible is about (Bible Survey and Book Studies)
- The main message of the Bible (Biblical Theology)
- The essential doctrines of the Christian faith (Systematic Theology)
- What we need to be saved and how we're saved (Gospel Proclamation)
- How we are to live (Moral and Ethical Instruction)
With such a daunting task, it helps to know you're not alone. Truth78 has spent more than a quarter century partnering with churches and parents to disciple children. We can help you instruct the mind, heart, and will of your children and the children in your church. It’s a monumental task, but essential and glorious. And the more intentional you are the better.
Until society embraces the good gift of children, the demographic cliff will persist. But regardless if the population keeps shrinking or suddenly booms, Christians have a sacred, more urgent concern. Discipling the next generation for spiritual maturity should be the aim of parents, grandparents, teachers, and ministry leaders. This mission is the ultimate goal of every effort to prepare children for adulthood. This is the mission of Truth78.
Start Planning Today for Spiritual Endurance in College
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It’s never too early to start planning for spiritual endurance in college, and never too late to jump in.
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—Candice Watters is the editor of FighterVerses and the author of Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies.
