For those that study children’s spiritual formation, John Westerhoff’s book Will our Children Have Faith? is a classic, must-read book. For brevity, I am going to oversimplify and summarize his answer to his question. Westerhoff contends that, no, our children will not have faith unless we reconsider the schooling-instructional model, understand the vital role of parents and the faith community, and remember that faith matures over time through our daily activities of discipleship.
Westerhoff’s book is over 40 years old, and yet, even in his revised editions (2000, 2012), he has all but doubled-down on his original conclusion.
I doubt Westerhoff imagined a pandemic when he wrote his book. But, the principle is the same; children’s maturing faith cannot be dependent on a schooling-instructional model. We can’t teach faith into our children in the same way that we teach math and science. And even though Bible class might be important, it is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to raising faithful kids.
Most churches emphasize the Sunday school model hoping that parents support their children’s faith growth by both attending children’s ministry and teaching children at-home. But, when suddenly the church cannot meet regularly (or in the same way as it has in the past), the legs under the Bible class model is kicked out from under it, and children’s ministers are left grasping at online delivery and drive-by VBS.
If nothing has convinced us that Westerhoff was on to something 40 years ago, this pandemic should seal the deal.
Will our children have faith after the pandemic?
So much has happened over the past few months. Back in early March, children scurried off to Bible class, children’s worship, and various church events for the last time this Spring. Who would have guessed that families would be at home for weeks on end, no school, no sports, no sleepovers, living life at a slow crawl? (And many parents report enjoying the slow pace of life, at that!)
Now, it is mid-summer, the curve flattened for about half a second, and then cases shot straight up. Just as churches began worshipping together in their auditoriums and as children’s ministers started carefully hosting socially distanced events, new hot spots emerged, and church leaders had to reconsider in-person gatherings.
Pandemic ministry has no end in sight, and I continue to wonder, will our children’s faith survive the pandemic?
Pandemic ministry is a marathon
In March, children’s ministers and volunteers were on the ball. Overnight, ministers learned to record and edit Bible classes and worship. Zoom with children, parents, volunteers, and other staff members became so regular that the term “Zoom fatigue” was coined. Many ministers even drove around town, dropping off care packages and engaging in socially distanced sidewalk conversations with the families in their ministry in hopes of nurturing relationships for the eventual return to a physical location.
Minister’s workloads exploded overnight. So much so that experts warned that many ministers would burn out and quit ministry entirely within a short period of time. Some feel that they failed at a ministry that no one else has ever tried – pandemic ministry in the 21st century.
And now, half a summer is behind us and our future, partially characterized by the reopening of schools, is under hot debate.
Pandemic ministry is here to stay – at least a little longer — and it is a marathon, not a sprint.
Ministry without physical presence
The Christian faith needs physical presence to thrive. We follow the God that came down, became man, walked among us, had friends, overturned tables, died, and then defeated death. God became tangibly present, and God continues to be present in the Spirit that dwells within us. The church gathers to celebrate God’s continued relationship with us, to participate in the justice of the kingdom, as takes the gospel to the world.
Ministers took up the calling to help people notice God, respond to God, and live a life immersed in following God. To pastor their flock well, it is almost a prerequisite of ministers to be in close proximity, physically and mentally present for their flock.
So, what if normal children’s and youth ministry can’t return any time soon? Without Bible class and other programs, how will these ministers serve children and their families?
This reality is heavy on the hearts of on the hearts of every ministers, everywhere.
The creative and time-intensive Zoom-Bible-class band-aid is wearing out ministers, and there is no end in sight. COVID is a chronic injury to our society. And band-aids never work for chronic injury. Chronic problems need more profound intervention, more time, intensive care.
Ministers are tired of the herculean effort that it takes to create content for children to learn about God at home. And, sadly, the analytics on much of the digital material shows that it goes unwatched and unused. Thankfully, some churches have found a new normal, even meeting face to face, while other churches are still closed with no end in sight.
When ministers cannot be present in the life of children, how will children’s faith continue to grow?
Parent’s crucial role in their children’s spiritual formation
Read the post FAITHFUL PARENTING IN THE PANDEMIC: WILL CHILDREN’S FAITH SURVIVE?
For years, ministers have talked about the importance of parents in the spiritual formation of children. At the same time, many of the same ministers hosted more and more children’s events and Bible classes and parenting seminars. Church attendance, physical presence at ministry activities, and programming for parents were still the legs that supported ministry.
Ministers, I know that you are tired. I know that you want to do your very best for those in your care. You are not alone. Daily, I talk with ministers from around the country that ask me, “now what?” You are unsure of the steps forward because you know that children need intentional adults to mentor the faith of children.
No one gave ministers a COVID playbook when ministers trained for ministry. That book is not on the shelves yet. All of our ministry plans and models were built for a stable society. People gathered to worship and study about God without fear of a microscopic virus. Infection rates, quarantines, social-distancing, death rates, these were words none of us uttered six months ago.
God’s design for the faith of children to survive and thrive was never dependent on church activities. Those programs were icing on the cake. God’s plan has always been dependent on the family and the family’s close community. Ministers, if you are still trying to discern what pandemic ministry looks like, I suggest that you start with parents and caregivers. The responsibility (continues) to lie with them.
Children’s faith that survives and thrives
Let me encourage you, ministers, that you are needed now, more than ever, by the children and families in your care. Parents need you on their side. They need your pastoral care. They need your enthusiasm. Parents need your faith in them. Parents need you to disciple them so that they have the confidence to disciple their children.
So, what can you do? Here are a few ideas:
- Pray for parents. Text parents regularly and ask for a prayer request.
- Equip parents. Give them the courage to open Scripture and read with their children. Send easy to use at-home devotionals material. Text a question of the day, or a verse of the day, for parents to discuss with their children. (This article equips parents to worship with children at home.)
- Encourage parents. Call parents and listen to their joys and their struggles as they disciple their children.
- Supplement what the parents are doing. Evaluate the content being sent to parents and create only the best, most useful content. Parents are tired, overwhelmed, and overloaded. Send only the very best of resources to them and then hold them accountable for using those resources with their kids.
- Stay in touch with the children. Zoom, notes, text messages, phone calls, sidewalk visits, face to face chats when the church is gathering at the building, all of these things go a long way to keeping children connected with their church home. Ask children questions about their faith, about Scripture, about God’s presence in their lives. Be curious! Be encouraging!
Will children’s faith survive and thrive during the pandemic?
Of course, faith will survive for many children! But, will it thrive?
The odds of children graduating from high school with a strong faith already left much to be desired. Without intentionality, the pandemic is not going to help those odds. But, first things first, even without the help of parents, God is doing amazing things in the lives of children. A child has complete agency to own their faith; they can pursue God on their own. Let’s not discount what God is up to in the lives of children. But do we want to risk our children’s faith because Bible class and other programs are not available? Of course not.
Ministers need to make high impact leadership choices focused on achievable goals. Some of those goals must be focused on the spiritual discipleship of parents.
God called parents, ministers, and the community of believers, to come alongside children on their spiritual journey. We join children in discipleship and service to the kingdom. We minister with children, and we accept the ministry of children.
Ministers, if you feel that you are spinning your wheels, now is the time to evaluate what you are doing. Are you encouraging and equipping parents for their role in their children’s spiritual formation? If not, let go of the content development sprint and join families on their faith journey. Parents and children need you!
Parents, for more information about your role, read Faithful Parenting in the Pandemic.
