It’s every Christian parents’ worst fear. Their child walks away from the faith soon after they move out or go to college. A 2019 study by LifeWay Research said that two-thirds (66 percent) of American young adults who attended a Protestant church regularly for at least a year as a teenager say they also dropped out for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22. Only thirty-four percent say they continued to attend twice a month or more.
On a recent Share Life Today, John Sorensen, president of Evangelism Explosion, gave some needed advice for parents who find themselves in this difficult situation. He said,
It’s heartbreaking to know your child doesn’t share your faith in the Lord, and while no person has the power to save anyone, we can be used by God to show people the way to Him. Try listening to your child so you can better understand their ‘why’ and then gently have gospel conversations when they’ll allow it. Ask your child to volunteer with you to help the needy or serve the community somehow. Let them see how Jesus cares for everyone, by how you treat others. This will make a difference and it could soften their heart toward the gospel if you let them know that everything you do is to serve the Lord and show His grace!
As spring break nears for many college students, now is the perfect time to urge your listeners to have spiritual conversations with their kids and to remind them about the many free resources offered by Evangelism Explosion at its website ShareLife.Today. For more information about Share Life Today or Evangelism Explosion, please contact me at charley@ambaa.com
