Why Are Children Leaving the Church in Droves?

Why Are Children Leaving the Church in Droves?

The following was posted on Elisabeth Elliot Quotes on Facebook:

A friend asked a thought provoking question today…“Why are our children leaving the church in droves?” I need to rent a soap box for this one! But here is my answer (for what it’s worth) and it’s just a small part of the answer. I see so many mistakes in young families these days, and I wish I could reach them and get them to listen. Child rearing and family life just aren’t that hard when you follow the Bible’s advice. So here’s what I answered if you are wondering.

My opinion is that we have broken so many of God’s principles concerning family life. We allow the church youth group to keep our children too busy and separated from their families, then we have our kids in public schools where they are taught the very ideas that go against what the parents are trying to instill. Add several hours per day on social media and the parents end up being in less than 10 percent of their children’s lives. And it starts all the way back in child care centers when they are just wee babes. Parents and their children are strangers these days.

We need to get back to moms being at home with their kids, teaching them in homeschool, attending church faithfully, and keeping their kids with them while at church. What ever happened to families worshiping together? Don’t even get me started on TV, social media, and Hellywood! And where are “family devotions” led by Dad? We are paying the price for snubbing our noses at God’s User Manual aka The Old Bible. (Pam Cassada) 

Of course, many women were highly offended at this and wanted scripture reference for what she wrote. If women aren’t living up to the commands of God’s Word, they will cry “legalism” or “you’re judging” instead of examining their lives for error. Here is how an administrator at Elisabeth Elliot Quotes responded:

I will put my trust in what the Bible tells me of Jesus and of Heaven. I will put no stock in someone’s “died, went to Heaven, and came back” stories.

Here are the scriptures I promised to post today:

Titus 2 on mamas staying home with their children

Deuteronomy 6 on homeschooling and dad leading devotions in the home

Hebrews 10:25 on faithful church attendance

Matthew 21:15, 16; Psalm 148: 12, 13; Ezra 10:1; Nehemiah 8:1, 2, 5, 6, 9 on children attending church service with parents

The only hope for our families, for our churches, for our nations is a return to the Holy Bible. Do as it says! Do not argue. Do not misconstrue. Do not put your own interpretation on it. Believe it. Live it. Don’t say one can’t do it in “this day and time.” Don’t believe the devil’s lie that someone else can care for YOUR children. Don’t believe the devil’s lie that putting your children in a godless education system won’t hurt them. I realize we have Christian teachers, etc., but as a whole our education system in America is set up to indoctrinate our children in the ways of the world and not in God’s ways.

If you are not fully familiar with who Elisabeth Elliot is, read her books Through Gates of Splendor, Let Me Be a Woman, and The Shaping of a Christian Family. Elisabeth’s daughter raised eight children on her husband’s income in California for many years. She homeschooled.

Some of you have said Elisabeth traveled to speak and wrote books thus making her a working mother. But you must remember that Elisabeth and Valerie lived in the jungle until Valerie was around 8 years old. Yes, Elisabeth was translating scripture and working as a missionary, but often their home was a hut without walls and so as Elisabeth did her work, Valerie was usually a few feet away playing with the Waorani children or sleeping on her mat beside Elisabeth’s hammock. Elisabeth wrote three books while living in the jungle.

However, after coming back to the States and then later on marrying Addison Leitch, she did not publish another book until Valerie was 19. She put being a mother to young Val first always.

Ladies, the family is under attack. It saddens me when I hear young Christian mothers say they don’t cook meals, they eat in front of TV, they never read aloud to their children, they have no time for Sunday evening services at church, because ball practice, dance lessons, etc, come before family devotions. Their children have never heard them pray. I could go on and on. It IS POSSIBLE to live as scripture instructs.

Pour your life, your time, your energy into your family. I know there are circumstances such as an unwanted divorce, widowhood, disabled husband, etc, that make it impossible for mother to stay home. God knows and understands these cases. But His ideal is daddy supporting the family, mama guiding the home, and children learning the Word of God at mama and daddy’s knees. Don’t discount this!

In our church, the working mama is a rarity. It can be done! We have mamas with nursing degrees, teaching degrees, etc. who are stay-at-home moms. Motherhood, full-time devoted motherhood, is a proud profession! I have one daughter and two daughters-in-law with college degrees who are now stay-at-home mamas pouring their hearts into the training, nurturing, and raising of their children. One sells health products from home, one sews for extra money, and one takes care of all the finances for her husband’s timber business. They are busy AT HOME. They love their husbands and love their children as scripture teaches.

I am not saying if you work you don’t love your husband and children or that you don’t cook, etc. No, no, no a million times no. But please, don’t get upset at me for posting scriptural truth and quotes by Elisabeth and others about being keepers at home. Do as you wish. But do pray and ask God to show you His will and give you the “desires of your heart.”

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

6 thoughts on “Why Are Children Leaving the Church in Droves?

  1. Thank you for this encouraging post. My children are now young adults and I have been feeling a little lost as far as where I should be putting my energy now that they don’t need me as much. Honestly I have realized they do need me just as much, only in a slightly different way. It is still so important to keep our home for my husband and for our children when they are there. This article encouraged me that this is what God has called me to no matter the age of my children.

  2. This is very encouraging. We have 4 children ranging in ages from 9 to 14 and have decided to have all of our children sit with us during church. It is really neat how much they absorb from the sermon. The younger ones do miss the fun of children’s church but it feels so right to all worship and hear about the Word together. We have also decided to forgo youth groups because that would mean two nights out of the house and my husband does a very diligent job of a nightly Bible reading.

  3. Thanks so much for this, Lori. Elisabeth Elliot was my very first mentor on Biblical womanhood. I have read most of her books and listened intently to her radio broadcast for many years. The Lord used her godly influence in my life just like He’s using you, Lori. Thanks for all the wonderful encouragement you bring to women, young and old. To God be the glory!! That’s what Elisabeth would’ve said.?

  4. Please think about volunteering in your community! This is a good way to further God’s kingdom. Your children have been blessed by having you home but now you have the great privilege to share Christ outside of your home. Blessings

  5. Amen!!

    Women like this don’t exist in my city. Men are encouraged to be libertines.

    Staying true to God and celibate is hard, but rewarding.

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