Will your Children have faith?

Studies show that the number of American youth growing in a meamingful.faith is actually decreasing. Some churches no longer provide Sunday School. Other Sunday Schools are declining because of the growth of competing Sunday sports leagues. Nearly half of Americans have no.church home.

Certainly churches deserve some if the blame. Many churches have been slow to respond to the true needs of young people and their families.

However, faith is being lost in the entire process. Faith is not something to be learned and mastered quickly. It must be nurtured in a supportive setting with other caring believers. Such churches can be found, though it may require se intestigation. Friends and the Internet can be of great assistance.

Howeve, if faith is not a priority for parents, then it will not be for parents. Like other children's activities, it must be scheduled. If the nurturing of your child's faith development is the l at prority, then the shoots of faith will wither like a plant, which is not watered.

As a child grows in age, faith can be a real support for him or her. Faith informs a cgild's sense of judgment when making.moral choices. Faith gives the young teen discernment in choosing the right friends. Faith can give us all the support of God, as we learn to turn to Him in prayer. .Faith can provide us with a supportive community at your local church.

You want your child to have the best life possible. That can only happen with faith.

The Rev. John Donnelly, Christ Church Quaker Farms, Oxford, Ct.