It is appalling today how so little is known by teenagers about biblical doctrine in conservative churches.  Many cannot define the doctrine of the Trinity.  They don’t know the difference between justification and sanctification.  They don’t know what the ordo salutis is.  If our children grow up without knowing basic Christian doctrine, then we are failing them.  Bland and generic non-denominational Sunday School literature will not suffice.  

There is nothing particularly biblical about a Sunday School hour, but there is nothing particularly unbiblical about it either.  It does provide an opportunity for someone other than parents to work with covenant children. Although what I say could be applied to almost any Sunday School class, it is targeted toward your pre-teens and teenagers.

At my first church, some forty-five years ago, during the Sunday School hour, I taught the teenage class every Sunday for a period of four years.  We studied the Shorter Catechism.  At the end of the class I gave a final exam which I graded but never shared with anyone else but the respective students.  The students have never forgotten that class, and they have fond memories of the loving attention I gave them.

It is appalling today how so little is known by teenagers about biblical doctrine in conservative churches.  Many cannot define the doctrine of the Trinity.  They don’t know the difference between justification and sanctification.  They don’t know what the ordo salutis is.  If our children grow up without knowing basic Christian doctrine, then we are failing them.  Bland and generic non-denominational Sunday School literature will not suffice.

In my last church as a pastor, the teenagers were required to cover a cycle of subjects that would ingrain in their minds important topics of the Christian faith.  We usually began by studying Louis Berkhof’s Summary of Christian Doctrine. From there they would move on to subjects like church history.  As they got older we assigned them to read portions of Calvin’s Institute of the Christian Religion.  I personally made sure that they were exposed to topics such as a Christian view of economics.  During youth meetings, I took them chapter by chapter through Honest Money by Gary North.

Now, I know that there are other good books, but the point is that the covenant children of these churches were grounded in solid biblical doctrine by the time they left for college or moved away for other reasons.  Many of them are still faithful members of the church of their youth.

I am afraid that we are not preparing our young people for what lies ahead of them.  Idleness may be the devil’s workshop, but just as dangerous is ignorance of the doctrines of the Christian faith for covenant children.

Make sure your church leaders are paying close attention to the youth of your church.  Don’t assume your pre-teens and teens are getting what they need in other places such as a Christian School.  Fun and games are good.  Mission trips are good.  Summer camps are valuable.  However, if they are not being grounded in the doctrines of the faith, both the leadership of the church and you are failing them. Don’t waste the Sunday School hour but use it as a providential opportunity for teaching your children the doctrines of the Christian faith.

Larry E. Ball is a retired minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is now a CPA. He lives in Kingsport, Tennessee.

© 2017 The Aquila Report