Will Our Children Have Faith?
Challenges to the teaching ministry at the end of the 20th century

In the first half of the 20th century, most of the children in this country became literate in basic Christian ideas. But the social landscape has changed in the last half of the century in ways that have brought Christian literacy to a very low point among younger people today.

Reasons for this new low in Christian literacy seem to lie in the following areas:

School:
In the past, common schools taught religious topics, used biblical texts, learned catechisms, studied the ten commandments, etc. Now this is generally forbidden.
 
Higher Education:
In the past, most colleges had a significant religious component in the curriculum. Now few do. Even colleges with religious connections (including Presbyterian) generally have few religious requirements. Colleges are largely secularized and tend to loosen student's religious connections rather than strengthen them.
 
Media:
In the past, parents read aloud to the family, generally using material with moral and religious topics. Now, time spent watching TV overwhelms all other learning sources (family, church, and school) and provides little moral or religious content.
 
Family:
In the past, parents instructed children in religious beliefs and church elders often checked that such instruction was being done. Now both parents tend to work and there is little time spent in conversation with the children.
 
Congregation:
In the past, the church was the center of family life, including the social center. Church occupied much of the day on Sunday. Now church is not the center. Children may get only about 50 minutes of church education per week.

As a result of these changes, little religious education is going on. What can we do about that? Here are some recommendations:

1. Recognize that we are in a different situation today. The old props are gone. We are a minority and we need to think like a minority - be militant and stand up against the dominant culture.
    
2. Support more teaching in the home. The single most important item is conversation between children and both mothers and fathers. We need to invest time with our children, even though that may be hard to do.
    
3. Be more demanding of people in the congregation. For example, require a catechism class for confirmation. Studying the new First Catechism would provide a decent basic Christian literacy. In general, take more seriously the need to provide Christian literacy. Hire the church staff necessary for a vigorous youth program.

Some hopeful signs that progress is starting to occur are these:

1. Some colleges are now making efforts to reclaim their Christian identity.
    
2. Weekday religious schooling (through time-release classes or private Christian schools) is increasing.
    
3. Churches are increasingly investing in staff to provide stronger programs and better educational ministry.