How often do you think about why you believe what you believe?
This was a question that I did not think about growing up. I did not grow up in a Christian home, and thought that religion was for superstitious or pretentious people (and some people happened to be both!). If you were to ask me, as a kid, why I believed the way that I did, I would have looked at you like a deer in headlights. I had simply inherited the practices and beliefs that were modeled and taught to me, both consciously and subconsciously, by my parents. My hope is that for the kids of Hessel Church, especially as they reach the Junior High stage, is that they would have an answer for why they believe what they believe.
Without spending the time to answer this question, their faith is likely doomed. The sad reality is that many kids walk away from their faith when they become young adults, and a huge reason why is that they haven’t spent time grappling with the difficult questions that live in the back of their mind, unaddressed. What I want to encourage our students to do is to be bold by expressing their doubts, exploring complex ideas, and building a robust faith. Once I began to move from simply knowing what I believe to knowing why I believe it, I was emboldened to do everything I could to share the Gospel and live a life consistent with it.
In light of this, we have just started working through an Apologetics curriculum on Sunday mornings, in Breakfast Club. The curriculum is called “Advocates,” and it is actually an Awana-based curriculum. It is led by Biola Professor Sean McDowell, and features lesson videos on important topics such as: The nature of faith, truth, logic, worldviews, miracles, the resurrection, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy, and more! Through this study, students will leave with a deeper understanding of the Christian worldview, and why we believe the way that we do.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - the primary influence in terms of spiritual formation for kids is you - their parents. So, while we at Hessel are committed to doing all that we can to equip kids with tools to build up and defend their faith, my strong encouragement is that you are engaged in the same way at home.
I would highly recommend finding some time with your student to ask them why they believe as they do, leaving room for doubt without judgment. Your kids will appreciate you as a listening ear who isn’t always preaching to them. They are at an age where they need to explore some things on their own, which is scary, but you are there to guide them and provide a safe, loving space for them to explore.
The resource of the month linked below is a great book recommendation called “Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to Help Build a Lasting Faith.” The title makes the goal crystal clear: Building a faith that lasts by means of having deep, meaningful conversations with your kids. I would encourage you to pick up a copy of the book and use it as a helpful conversation starter.
Blessings,
Julian Marcel | Pastor of Junior High | Hessel Church | julian@hessel.org
Are your children facing criticism of Christianity while they're at school, with friends, or online? Perhaps they've already expressed some doubts about God. Natasha Crain responds to 40 challenging questions that kids face today. Learn how to replace their doubts with confidence, encourage open dialogue, and equip them to defend their faith.