Being a missionary is hard **serious*** work and requires **ADULT** maturity in the faith. It is far more likely that the child will be converted to secular humanism. The stats prove it. I've provided links below:
Salt & Light, The Great Commission & Who's
Responsible for Educating Your Children
http://www.exodusmandate.org/art_20050404-salt-and-light.htm
The reality of the situation is that very little Christian witnessing is ever done by children in public schools to begin with. As with everything else in life, there are of course some exceptions to the rule.
Without question, the lion's share of converting and witnessing is accomplished through the public education curriculum, peer pressure from other children — most of whom are non-Christian — and educators who implant (either subtly or obviously and conscientiously or unconscientiously) their humanistic, neo-pagan or new age doctrines within the minds and hearts of Christian children. These children, I might add, are a captive audience with little or no chance to speak up or opportunity to rebut their teachers.
The research data on the success of the public schools in indoctrinating Christian youth with humanistic or neo-pagan worldviews is overwhelming. The Nehemiah Institute’s worldview PEERS test shows that 83-percent of the children from committed Christian families in public schools adopt a secular humanist or Marxist socialist worldview. At the SBC’s 2002 annual meeting, the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life reported, among other disturbing things, that 88-percent of the children raised in evangelical homes leave church at age 18. Barna Research reports that only 9-percent of born-again teens believe in moral absolutes, and more than half believe that Jesus sinned while He was on earth. We believe the fact that 80-percent of Christian families send their children to public schools is a prime reason for this lost legacy.
We Are Losing Our Children
http://www.exodusmandate.org/art_we_are_loosing_our_children.htm
We are losing our children. Research indicates that 70%of teens who are involved in a church youth group will stop attending church within two years of their high school graduation. Think about that statement. It addresses only teenagers who attend church and participate in the youth group. What does that suggest about those teens who may attend church but do not take part in the youth group, or who do not go to church at all?
In a talk at Southwestern Seminary Josh McDowell noted that less than 1/3 of today's youth attend church. If he is right and 67% do not go to church and then we lose 70% of those who do, that means that within two years of finishing high school only 10% of young Americans will attend church.
(snip)
Everyone has a worldview, a perspective of the world around him. Bob Reccord referred to this as a”reference point.” He may not think of it in these terms. Indeed, he may not think of it consciously at all, but you cannot exist without a framework within which you place events and individuals, which determines your values, which values in turn guide your actions and reactions to events and people.
Although there are many worldviews designated by many exotic or not so exotic terms, they all boil down to just two types: Your worldview will be man-centered or God-centered.
We're not going anywhere.
If you, as a wise old sage, think you can reach the youth of America, please tell us how you plan to do it.
One at a time. If you read my post carefully, you would note that I said that the choice of options depended on the family, the child, and the stage of development. In our case we used a Christian school for K-2, home schooled from 3-8, and used the state school from 9 onward. Our kids were very well grounded with a Christian world-view by 8th grade and were able, with our help, to learn to sort truth from error in high school. Both finished advanced degrees at a state University. Both maintained Christian fellowship and their testimony through out. The key is a solid foundation. Want to reach youth for Christ? Have a home bible study, AWANA, or Good News Club or the like. Get involved in the lives of your children and their friends.
wintertime wrote:
Research indicates that 70% of teens who are involved in a church youth group will stop attending church within two years of their high school graduation.
Quite reminiscent of the Campus Crusade survey at UB that my son shared with me. 80% of entering freshmen claimed to be Christian. Only 20% of seniors did. The rest were atheists or into New Age or Eastern religions.
The key is that the burden of evangelism rests on mature believers. Lambs are to be protected from wolves, not fed to them.