Passing Faith to the Next Generation

How do you pass faith on to young people who don't see the world the way you do? Spend intentional time with them, give them reasons to ask "why," and hand on the gospel itself, not just your habits. And expect them to hand something back, because faith between generations runs in both directions.

Why is it so hard to pass faith to the next generation?

It is hard because each generation thinks, talks, and lives a little differently. Today those differences grow faster than ever. The weekend message this episode follows made a striking point. In many ways, it is harder to be a church of many generations than a church of many nations.

The church has faced this for a very long time, though. On Beyond Sunday, Pastor Sean Sloan's guest was a theology professor and former youth pastor. He encouraged listeners not to get so focused on our own moment that we forget the church has wrestled with this for centuries. Look at how your own church tradition has handed on the faith, and learn from the people who came before you. Technology and the pace of change do bring real challenges. Pastor Sean called it an old problem expressed in a new way.

Why does what you believe about Jesus matter for raising kids?

It matters because people become like whatever they are oriented toward. Your view of Jesus shapes your view of what it means to be human, and that shapes how you parent, disciple, teach, and treat people.

The guest pointed out that whenever we talk about parenting or discipling, we are talking about forming people. Those conversations should be tied directly to who Jesus is and what He was doing in the world. Pastor Sean added that what we believe about God plays out in how we see ourselves and how we treat others. That is why Christ has to be the center a church unites around, across every age.

What is the best way to pass faith on?

Spend intentional time together across generations. That was the guest's main advice, and it is simpler than most people expect.

It is part of what drew him into youth ministry. Youth ministry should not replace what families do. It should support and partner with families. Kids need more than their home if they are going to flourish, especially in complicated times. They need Christians from other generations who know their names and care about them.

So whether you are 25 or 65, be less intimidated by the idea of starting a real conversation with someone younger. The next generation needs those conversations. So do you. A church can only be healthy if they are happening.

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.

Psalm 145:4

How do traditions help kids own their faith?

Traditions give kids reasons to ask "why," and a question is the best opening you will ever get to tell them what God has done.

The weekend message pointed to Joshua. When Israel crossed the Jordan River, God told them to set up stones as a memorial, so the next generation would ask about them.

In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

Joshua 4:6 to 7

Pastor Sean noted that both Genesis and the Gospels open with family lines. Generations matter in God's story. A memorial stone is anything that prompts the next generation to ask what God has done. Your church's history, its practices, and the stories of God's faithfulness in your own family are memorial stones. Know them well enough to tell them.

What does tradition really mean?

Tradition means handing something valuable over to someone else. If something is worth preserving, you pass it on carefully to someone who will cherish it and pass it on again. For example, the guest grew up in a church tradition that didn't like the word tradition, which he admits complicates the conversation. Still, he says the word simply comes from the idea of handing something over.

That also means checking what you are passing on. The guest acknowledged a healthy nervousness here: are you handing on the right things, or only your own biases and your parents' habits? Pastor Sean added that we receive the faith as imperfect people shaped by our culture. So we need the humility to ask whether what we received was the real thing.

Do younger believers have something to teach older ones?

Yes. Passing faith on is not one-way traffic where the wise older people hand things down to the younger ones.

The guest spends much of his time with very smart young people. He says that when we hand faith on well, they hand it back to us. It is the same treasure, slightly reshaped, and we get to learn from it before we pass it on again. Older believers bring experience and history. Younger believers bring fresh faith and real insight. Make room to receive what they hand back.

What is the treasure we are passing on?

The treasure is the gospel: what God has revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God has entrusted it to ordinary, imperfect people.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2 Corinthians 4:7

The guest described the gospel as more than a set of ideas. It is an invitation from the God of the universe to join His story and His work in the world. If you get to invite another generation into that, it should make your heart beat a little faster.

Common questions

How do I pass my faith on to my kids?

Live your faith in front of them and give them reasons to ask questions, like Israel's memorial stones in Joshua 4. Surround them with Christians from other generations who care about them, so the church partners with your family.

Why is a multigenerational church important?

Each generation needs the others. Older believers carry experience and history, and younger believers bring fresh faith and insight. A church is healthiest when the generations are in real relationship.

What does tradition mean in the Christian faith?

Tradition means handing something valuable on to the next person. At its heart, what Christians pass on is the gospel, and we should test what we hand on so it is faithful to Christ and not just our own habits.

What can older Christians learn from younger ones?

Passing faith on goes both ways. When faith is handed on well, younger believers hand it back with fresh insight, and older believers get to learn from them.