3 Things Every Parent Can Do to Help Their Students Grow Spiritually
Some of my favorite years in life were when I went to a small Bible college in downtown Minneapolis. All of the late nights hanging out in the dorms, meeting people from all over the country, and getting to sit under amazing professors. A lot of things stuck with me throughout the years (being a Vikings fan wasn’t one of them.)
I was a youth ministry major. One of the things that stuck out to me most was the concept of 3000 vs 40. I remember hearing a concept from a book called Think Orange. The book is all about how churches and families can partner together to help students grow in their faith. In it, the author Reggie Joiner, talked about this idea. He explained how the average church will get 40 hours in a year with a student. However, the family will get 3000 hours of time spent with their kids. As a youth pastor, I want to make sure our youth ministry makes the most of these 40 hours. However, it’s also very apparent that the family’s impact is far greater!
Being a parent isn’t easy! I’m not a parent. But… I remember what I put my parents through.
Helping a student grow in their faith isn’t easy either. However, I believe parents will always have the greatest impact on their student’s faith. As the Church, we want to do everything possible to help you in that goal.
Here are 3 things every parent can do to help their students grow spiritually.
Create space for students to wrestle with hard questions
I’m constantly reminded of the depth of student’s faith by the questions that they ask. A lot of times they’re hard questions about the Bible, culture, and life. If we’re being honest, questions can sometimes seem threatening. What if they don’t find the answer? Are they questioning their faith? Are they going to walk away from their faith? It can be tempting to give an easy answer to a complex question.
I believe that one of the biggest ways that students grow in their faith, isn’t necessarily when they find the answer, but when they learn how to process the questions that all of us have. If students don’t have a safe place to ask hard questions when they’re still in the home, then they’ll find a place to ask questions when they move out for college or work.
Even if we don’t have the answers… Sometimes the best response is to let them know we’ll find the answers together.
Teach through conversations
Our youth ministry at Evergreen has made the intentional decision that we’re going to help students learn through discussion. We have small groups inside of our gathering every Sunday night. We teach in a message for 15 minutes. Then, we get into small groups where the small group leader’s job is to walk beside them, ask them questions, and help them process their faith through conversation.
Jesus was the best at this. People came up to Him all the time with questions about faith and life. All through the gospels, there’s a consistent pattern… Jesus asks them a question right back. He would ask thought-provoking questions that went to the person’s heart.
One of the best ways to help a student grow is to ask a thought-provoking question and create a dialogue.
Continually remind your student that they’re unconditionally loved.
If you’re taking the time to read this, I’m guessing there’s a pretty good chance your student is unconditionally loved. Constant reminders can be powerful. The reminder is the key.
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when Jesus is baptized. He comes up from the water and the voice of God says, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). This was how Jesus’ ministry began. He started His ministry from a place of unconditional love.
There’s a security that comes when a kid knows they are unconditionally loved. Every day can seem like a rollercoaster when you’re growing up. Social media, comparison, bullying, substance abuse, the rise of depression and anxiety… Growing up has never been easy. Constantly reminding your students that you care about them and that you’re always going to be there for them continues to reinforce this idea in them.