Besides my family, one of God’s greatest blessings of my formative years, was attending a Bible-believing and teaching church. God used Pine Forest Baptist Church to shape me into the man I am today. I’ve learned much since my younger days in church, but the lessons I learn today build on their foundation. Because of my experience, I am convinced families need church.
Church taught me much about God’s Word, and how to live in community with other believers. Thankfully, I sat under the preaching of some gifted pastors, and loving staff members modeled ministry skills for me. Lay leaders and teachers provided learning opportunities that helped me prepared for God’s calling on my life.
Recently, both the church I currently pastor and my home church have experienced the grief of losing long-standing members. I have reflected much over the last couple of weeks on the blessings so many people have been in my life. Yet today, my generation of parents and those just younger than me seem to miss the importance of family involvement in church.
The church today faces increased competition of the time, attention, and resources of young families. School, sports, and a multitude of other options provide distractions from the important role church plays in child development. With that in mind, I offer a plea to young families to get involved in a Bible-teaching church.