Training Tomorrow's Sowers Today

While studying for a recent message I came across some interesting statistics: According to a Barna Research Group study, adults who attended church regularly as children are nearly three times as likely to be attending a church today as their peers who avoided church during childhood (61% to 22%, respectively). Another study revealed that if both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 72% of their children remain faithful. If only Dad, 55% remain faithful. If only Mom, 15%. This demonstrates the compounding impact parents can make when they are both on the same page setting a consistent example.

 I understand this information specifically reflects the practice of church attendance, but I believe it supports a basic premise set forth in Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. While regular church attendance is but one facet of this principle, I am convinced that many other practices established in childhood are carried over into adult life. This being the case, if there is a habit or a proficiency that our child needs to live effectively as a mature believer, begin developing that habit or proficiency as early and as consistently as possible.

Let’s apply this principle to sowing the truth of the Gospel. Jesus told us in Matthew 9:37-38 that the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest. Where will these laborers come from? May I suggest that one of the best places for them to come from is the homes of faithful laboring parents! In the same way that faithful church attendance is modeled and mentored in the formative years of childhood, so can the habit of sowing the truth of the Gospel.

When children see their parents giving out tracts at Wal-Mart and the grocery store; when they see their parents witnessing to neighbors and inviting them to church; when Dad takes the boys with him on church visitation and Mom does the same with the girls; when reaching people for Christ is the subject of conversation at the dinner table and picking up folks for church becomes a regular part of family living, then an indelible impression is made in the life of the next generation; in essence we must train tomorrow’s sowers today!