Finding a Galesburg, IL church can be challenging for parents of teens. You’re looking for biblical teaching and Christian fellowship for the adults in
your family, but you also need to make your decision with your teen(s) in mind. Today in America, only about 40% of teens and parents attend church together. Parents who want to be in that 40%, along with their teens, are clearly up against some challenges. If you’re parenting teens, these practical do’s and don’ts might be helpful as you consider various Galesburg churches.
Don’t Make an Entertainment-Based Decision
Let’s face it: teens can be hard to impress. If you’re seeking a church that will excite your teen with extreme activities and adrenaline-filled worship sessions, you may be disappointed in the long term. If teens are looking for entertainment, they can find many sources of that besides church. Secular sources of entertainment often have bigger budgets and lower standards for the content they include. It’s hard for church programs to compete when it comes to entertainment value.
Most teens enjoy thrills, adventure and intense experiences. When you think of teen activities, things like whitewater rafting, bright lights and loud music, and crazy group contests and games might come to mind. However, teens are quickly maturing into adults, and they are beginning to think deeply about their lives, identities and futures. Teens are old enough to appreciate the deeper aspects of church, not just fun youth activities. Ideally, church is a place where they can grow up alongside adults who act as mentors and role models.
There’s nothing wrong with a church that provides lots of opportunities for teens to have fun. However, your decision about which church family to join is a big one, and it shouldn’t be based on factors like entertainment.
Don’t Leave Your Teen Out Of The Decision
Your teen isn’t the one ultimately deciding which church your family will attend. However, involving your teen in the process and discussion is important. Ask for their input and consider it as you make your choice. Talk through your reasoning with them and make sure they understand the biblical basis for your ultimate decision.
If your teen isn’t excited to attend church, you may be unsure what to do. Ultimately, one of the best ways to influence them is to be a role model. Make sure your teen sees your commitment to church attendance and understands the values behind it. Invest time and effort in building your personal relationship with God. If your day-to-day speech and conduct reflects Christ’s influence, your teen will see the connection between your worship and your lifestyle.
Do Look For Opportunities For Your Teens To Serve
The teen years can be frustrating. Teens are full of energy and quickly gaining independence and skills they’re eager to use. However, teens are still dependent on adults to some degree, and they can’t always exercise as much freedom as they’d like to.
When it comes to service opportunities in a local church, teens often face these limitations. However, a service-oriented church will look for meaningful ways to involve teens in its ministries. Christian service can be a great opportunity for teens to learn to handle more responsibility.
If you’re unsure how your teens could get involved in a particular church, ask church leadership about available opportunities. The teen years are a natural time to explore your potential and learn where your talents lie. At church, teens might be able to teach younger kids, help with physical volunteer work or charity outreach, or support worship services with their artistic skills. Give your teen freedom to explore different ministry opportunities, and look for a church where adults help teens get involved in ministry to an appropriate degree.
Do Keep Providing Spiritual Support
Biblical parenting is hard work. When your kids were young, you may have spent a lot of time at home on spiritual training. You had to teach them to pray and read the Bible, who Jesus is, how to understand and share the gospel, and more. When kids become teens, they’re better able to understand sermons and read Christian books for themselves. They can listen to podcasts, YouTube videos or online communities, and they often talk openly to other teens at church about spiritual matters.
However, your teen still needs your godly influence. Take time to discuss sermons with your teen after you’ve listened to them together. Ask what your teen is reading and provide biblical book suggestions, and check in on how their personal devotional time is going. You may find a church that provides excellent support for your teen, but they will still need you.
Problems will inevitably arise at any church. After all, church members still have sinful natures, and sin leads to conflict. When your teen sees problems within the church, like hypocrisy, legalism, or doctrinal disagreements, be proactive in discussing them together as a family. Teens are especially good at noticing adult failures. They tend to watch adults’ behavior carefully as they prepare for their own upcoming adulthood. Help your teen understand that church members’ sin doesn’t reflect on God’s goodness. Rather, it reminds us that we all need God’s grace.
Do Support Your Teen Socially
The teen years are an important time for gaining social skills. There’s a lot you can do to support your teen’s social well-being at the church you join. This doesn’t always mean choosing the church with the biggest youth group. As teens prepare for adulthood, it’s important for them to learn to interact with people of all ages and walks of life.
Support your teen in forming relationships with others their own age. If there aren’t many teens at the church, invest in the ones who are there. Guide your teen in helping to attract other young people to the church.
Also, support your teen’s interactions with other age groups. You might volunteer in children’s ministries alongside your teen, or invite an elderly church member over for a family meal. The church is designed to bring young and old together, and your teen can mature in the process.
Wondering whether Harmony Baptist Church is right for your family? Visit our Contact page and come by to meet us, or reach out via phone or email! We’d love to chat with you.
