Generation to Generation

Over the years, I have watched a lot of grandparents take their grandchildren to church with them. Often, they do so apologetically, saying, “If I didn’t take them to church, no one would,” or with an edge of judgement, saying, “I keep telling my kids to take them to church, and I got sick of arguing with them.” There are plenty of exceptions, but overall, when children are in church, they are probably more likely to have been brought by their grandparents than by their parents. This is part of the reality of the church in the 21st century, and we can treat this as a problem to be solved, or a blessing to be appreciated.

Without a doubt, having both parents attend church regularly is one of the strongest indicators of whether children and young people will continue to attend church once they are able to “choose for themselves.” These days, however, most Christian families do not have the opportunity to all work together. Both parents might not have come from the same Christian tradition. One parent might not even be a practicing Christian. Either or both parents may have to work on Sundays, since the changing nature of work in the 21st century does not privilege Sunday as a day of rest for everyone.

But even if your family cannot meet such an ideal...

This post originally appeared in the November 2021 issue of Anglican Life.

Click here to read the whole article.