Dr. Bryant Myers, some years ago shared that in the USA, nearly 85 percent of people who make a decision for Christ, do so between the ages of 4 and 14! George Barna reaffirmed this in his book Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions. He writes; "if people do not embrace Jesus Christ as their Savior before they reach their teenage years, the chance of their doing so at all is slim." Barna also urges us to "Consider the facts. People are much more likely to accept Christ as their Savior when they are young. Absorption of biblical information and principles typically peaks during the preteen years. . . . Habits related to the practice of one’s faith develop when one is young and change surprisingly little over time."

There are a couple points I want to bring out.

#1 Parents must be involved in their children’s spiritual well being while they are young! Too many parents have told me that they don’t want to "push religion down their children’s throat." It’s not about a religion, it’s about a relationship. We are concerned about our children’s hygiene so we make them take baths and brush their teeth. We are concerned about their intellect so we make the go to school and do their homework. Shouldn’t we also be concerned about their spiritual well being and where they will spend eternity! We should pray for and with our children, we should take them to church, and we should be an example that they can look up to. It’s imperative that we as parents take an interest now while they are young!

#2 The Church has far too often been more concerned about taking care of themselves than about reaching the next generation for Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." We must reach out to this generation before it’s too late. When I consider that 85% of all believers come to Christ between the ages of 4 and 14, it would be selfish of me as an adult to complain about the church "catering to young people." If we don’t reach them now they may be forever lost.

Children are not just the Church of tomorrow, they are the Church of today. They are our greatest missionaries, and our greatest resource. WE MUST reach them, WE MUST disciple them. It’s time for the Church to rise up and make a difference. It’s time for the Church to do what Christ has called us to do in Matthew 28:19 "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." WE MUST do it NOW before it’s too late.

I’m excited that Penn Forest Worship Center is concerned about reaching lost people! Will you partner with me, with us in reaching the generations?