Youth ministry is broken. As a youth pastor now in her 5^th decade I can declare this. It’s been broken for decades. I was there when it broke. I’m still in youth ministry but my role has looked very different since the mid-1990s. Because I still believe in youth ministry. Sheesh…I so love teens!

Watch this excerpted portion of The Holy Post podcast with Phil Vischer having this conversation about the cradle to adult pipeline being broken in the church. Yes, this is the same Phil Vischer who gave us one of the best video resources to help us keep that pipeline in tact—Veggietales. I have given all of my grandchildren Veggietales because I believe in the teaching impact of them.

(Watch to 36:42)

Does this trigger your feels as a parent? Does this confirm your doubts and worries? How worried are you for your children to grow in their faith?

I say this as I also realize this post-pandemic world has made parenting so much more anxious. You’ve had to walk with your child through new fears and new types of fears. You’ve had to have more responsibility than ever before for your child’s education. You’ve not been able to utilize this cradle to adulthood pipeline because churches had to close.

Why do you doubt your abilities to pass on your faith to your children?

This is the consistent theme of everything here at Brave Parenting. There is lot of encouragement and truth for you here because as a youth pastor I’m desperate for you to try to pass on your faith to your children—even with all of your awkwardness. You’ve got this. You are probably not a Bible scholar but you do have your teen’s unconditional love. You already are the loudest voice in your teen’s heads. You have the influence to do this—even with all of your awkwardness.

Try something. Find websites full of resources to help you. Find a church that will resource you. Try something.

Is your church or small group a place your teen can ask questions about doubt? FInd that place.

Because the fruit of passing your children off to the church pipeline from cradle to adulthood isn’t all that good anyway. See the story shared by Jason in the video. Yikes!

I believe this broken pipeline is a good thing because from youth pastor world, I see the best fruit when a teen is connected by faith to their parent. Because of you I can become the better youth pastor.