I recently had the opportunity to hear Reggie Joiner passionately talk about The State of the Church and Family (2010), a study done by the reThink Group and the Barna Group. They surveyed parents all over the U.S., both churched and unchurched. When asked if they thought that leaders in the church were a good source for help with developing a parenting plan, this is what they said:
57% - churched parents – VERY HELPFUL
19% - unchurched parents – VERY HELPFUL
These results give us immense insight that the church in America must address. First, less than a fifth of unchurched parents would think to go to the local church for help with their parenting efforts. Personally, I’m not overly shocked with that finding. It’s the 57% of churched parents that share the same feelings on that subject that…to me…is unacceptable & inexcusable! The Word of God contains valuable information on parenting, and I know that many churches teach those principles from the pulpit, in their adult elective classes, and in their small groups. Why then, are so many parents doubtful of the church’s ability to support families in this area? Do parents not think that anyone else knows what they are going through? Is the church not willing to openly discuss issues like physical discipline (spanking), sexual orientation, drugs & alcohol use at home, domestic violence, etc?
I’m sure the causes of these survey results are many & complex. But church…we cannot let this knowledge go unattended. The very backbone of our society is the family unit. If parents can’t/won’t look to God’s church for guidance, where will they turn? We must raise our hand and clearly say, “We can help.”
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