“The fact that less than 1% of adolescents and 1% of teenagers have a biblical worldview. I mean, you can’t get much lower than that. So, we’ve abjectly failed in terms of raising our children. We can look at the fact that only 2% of the parents of kids under the age of 13 have a biblical worldview. That’s appalling. You can’t give what you don’t have.” -Dr. George Barna.
George Barna is a professor and Director of Research at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. He is also the Senior Research Fellow at the Family Research Council’s Center for Biblical Worldview. He founded The Barna Group, the Barna Institute, the American Culture and Faith Institute, and Metaformation. His new book, Raising Spiritual Champions, is the 60th book that Barna has authored or co-authored. His books have addressed social and religious trends, worldview, leadership, spiritual development, church dynamics, and cultural transformation.
During this episode, Dr. George Barna sheds light on the troubling statistics of today’s world and details four essential disciple-making practices that have proven effective in children. Some of the shocking statistics about children ages 13-14:
- 43% don’t know or care if there is a God.
- 56% believe there is no absolute truth.
- 61% believe Jesus sinned or may have sinned while he was on earth.
- 70% believe Satan does not exist.
One of the key takeaways is that children start forming their worldview as early as a few months old and solidify it by the age of 13. Their worldview helps answer fundamental questions about identity, purpose, and morality. Dr. Barna reveals that media has emerged as the dominant influence on children’s worldviews, surpassing parental and church guidance.
Four essential disciple-making practices that have proven effective in his book, Raising Spiritual Champions:
- Make a commitment: Parents must view themselves as disciple-makers rather than merely caregivers. This shift in mindset enables them to guide their children on the path of faith.
- Know your beliefs: Parents need to deeply understand their Christian beliefs, origins, and significance first; then, they can initiate an ongoing journey of faith exploration together by sharing and modeling these beliefs with their children.
- Convert beliefs into action: Simply believing in Christian values is not enough; action is required. Children learn by example and need to see their parents living out their faith through consistent actions aligned with their beliefs.
- Measure progress: Regularly evaluating the effectiveness of their parenting efforts is crucial. Parents should assess both their personal faith journey and their children’s spiritual growth, making adjustments and seeking support as needed.
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