Voices of Hope — Where are the Parents?

A recent survey carried out by OneHope across the globe on the Generation Z (children born between 1997–2012) showed that a teenager’s number one influencer is Family! This is surprising, right? They depend on family for guidance on the meaning of life, what is right and wrong, gender and sexual issues.

The Africa findings showed that 78% of our young people are Christians. However, only 28% are committed christians. This clearly shows us the importance of family in raising Godly children, and how we can easily lose them if the parents don’t step up and take up their role in the children’s lives. With the current circumstances, the role that parents and guardians play in the lives of their children is becoming paramount and we as teachers of the Word to Children need to help parents see this.

The questions we need to ask ourselves are;

Do parents know their God given mandate in bringing up their children?

Do parents know how to help their children grow spiritually?

How can we as ministers support parents to raise their children in the fear of God?

What am I doing to help the parents of the children I minister to, raise them in godly ways?

Here are 5 areas we can focus on as we support parents:

1. Teach parents about the power of a praying parent! Children belong to God; He is their creator. He has their life planned out. We need to remind parents to pray for wisdom on how to raise them up.

Psalm 139: 13–14

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

2. Parenthood is a gift! Remind parents that children are important to God and he is interested in teaching them about His ways.

Isaiah 54:13

“All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.”

3. Parents are stewards! We need to train and empower parents regarding how to teach the word of God and build relationships with them.

Proverbs 22:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

4. Parenting is not by chance! It is a calling that parents need to maximize on God-given opportunities (the blessings of family) to encourage, teach and mold their children every moment, day-by-day and use those opportunities to teach their children the word of God.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

5. Parents are co- workers with God! It is God who started this work in their children and He is the one they should rely on to complete it. Encourage the parents to depend on God daily.

Philippians 1:6

“And so I am sure confident that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus.”

Thank you for all that you do to reach, rescue, root and release the Next Generation. As those called to minister to children in this generation, it is clear that God needs the parents to arise and take up their space in discipling their children. How can we as teachers keep improving ourselves to better support families? Well, our 4/14 network is just the place!

If you are interested in growing yourself as a minister to children and youth, we are constantly developing new engaging content for you. Please continue to look out for our monthly blogs!