B.L.
Puritan Board Sophomore
Morning,
I am posting this with a fair amount of reluctance due to 1) the thought that many here might not be able to relate and 2) out of some concern that it will read like it came from the keyboard of a Pharisee...but here she goes.
For those with children: have you ever been in a church where you start to grow concerned that your children's peers aren't the kinds of kids you want your children to intermingle with? I hate asking that, but it's been weighing on my wife and I's minds as of late. I get that there is a mixed multitude in the pews and that the spectrum of Christian maturity/growth is at varying levels; however, the number of families with like-minded values and beliefs seems to be shrinking as my children grow older and the red flags in the behavior of other children and what other parents allow their children to be exposed to has started to spike.
When my children were younger it seemed easier to point out and correct behavior that you don't want your children to imitate, but as they have gotten older it seems more of a challenge as they realize their friends are permitted to do things they are not and they see conduct/behavior in the church go unchecked and begin to question whether mom and dad might be too strict. I'm beginning to encounter this a bit with my oldest who naturally wants to connect with other youth in the church and feels isolated/lonely when my wife and I pull back some on what church activities she can or can't participate in. As a parent it's concerning to see so much worldliness in the ark of the church.
Does this resonate with anyone at all?
I am posting this with a fair amount of reluctance due to 1) the thought that many here might not be able to relate and 2) out of some concern that it will read like it came from the keyboard of a Pharisee...but here she goes.
For those with children: have you ever been in a church where you start to grow concerned that your children's peers aren't the kinds of kids you want your children to intermingle with? I hate asking that, but it's been weighing on my wife and I's minds as of late. I get that there is a mixed multitude in the pews and that the spectrum of Christian maturity/growth is at varying levels; however, the number of families with like-minded values and beliefs seems to be shrinking as my children grow older and the red flags in the behavior of other children and what other parents allow their children to be exposed to has started to spike.
When my children were younger it seemed easier to point out and correct behavior that you don't want your children to imitate, but as they have gotten older it seems more of a challenge as they realize their friends are permitted to do things they are not and they see conduct/behavior in the church go unchecked and begin to question whether mom and dad might be too strict. I'm beginning to encounter this a bit with my oldest who naturally wants to connect with other youth in the church and feels isolated/lonely when my wife and I pull back some on what church activities she can or can't participate in. As a parent it's concerning to see so much worldliness in the ark of the church.
Does this resonate with anyone at all?
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