What’s your little one now? 2? 3? High school graduation is a long (and short) way off.  It comes all too soon; I know I don’t have to tell you that.

As a youth worker, here’s something I do know that you may not know yet: it’s getting harder to keep your high school grad in church, especially come college. And Sunday morning worship? Often a very hard sell.

I think what you do now will make all the difference later. Just change how you talk about church because your kids are listening  Here’s what I mean:

Dad, instead of saying “Its my only day to sleep. You get the kids up for church,” what if you were the first face they saw waking them up with, “Hey kids! We get to go to God’s house today!”

Mom, what if getting ready began on Saturday in a fun way, not just a check list? Maybe Saturday night becomes a family fashion show for the next day. Combine the importance of Sunday with practical steps and bake something really special as a family for Sunday breakfast? Or have a breakfast table decorating game Saturday where prizes are awarded Sunday morning?

What if we all changed the passive aggressive language we use with our kids, beginning when they’re young, from “We gotta go” to “We get to go”? What if we never again called it “going to church” and started saying “worship our God”?

Stephanie