More than ever before in American history, children and teens are being lured away from their faith. In our increasingly secular society, Christian children and teens need more help if they are going to keep their faith after leaving home.

“Only 2 out of 10 ‘twentysomethings’ have maintained a level of spiritual activity consistent with their high school experiences...this pattern of disengagement is not merely a temporary phase in which they test the boundaries of independence, but is one that continues deeper into adulthood, with those in their thirties also less likely than older adults to be religiously active.” (Barna Research 2006)

Students often do not have adequate “tools” to discern truth from error at school.

The Problem Starts as Early as Middle School and High School.

Of those who no longer believe all the accounts in the Bible are true, “almost 90 percent were lost in middle school and high school.” (America’s Research Group 2009)

They are unaware of the rich history and positive contributions the Bible and Christianity has made to society. Their upbringing focuses so much attention on moral living (What Would Jesus Do), they don’t know how to think like Jesus regarding their academic subject (What Would Jesus Think).

Challenges students face include:

• “Will I be the only one in class who believes the Bible is true?”
• “Am I right for having my parents’ values?”
• “Do I know my faith well enough to discern truth from error in class?” 
• “Will my teachers and my peers respect my viewpoints if they know I’m a Christian?”
• “Am I a Christian only because my parents are, or do I own my faith?”

Parents are the Key

Parents are vitally important for teenagers retaining their faith as young adults.

“The most important factor is parents. For better or worse, parents are tremendously important in shaping their children’s faith trajectories. (Souls in Transition, the Centers for the Study of Religion and Society, University of Notre Dame, 2009)

The challenge of navigating today’s society is so big, parents often feel overwhelmed. They don’t know where to begin in discipling their children on how to effectively apply biblical truth to secular challenges.

They express inadequacy in knowing how to help their children answer the daily challenges to their faith they may face at school.

Parents feel disconnected from what is actually taught at any given time in the classroom. Consequently, they are often unaware of the faith challenges their children face.

Gateways' small group study is designed to help parents face these challenges. The road ahead may seem complicated. But, don't worry. We've helped thousands of parents across the country for 20 years. We'll show you the way.