It takes a village to raise a child

Have you ever stopped to think about the key people who influenced you to grow in your faith? Chances are that most of us can pinpoint individuals who had a big impact on us – people who invested time in us and encouraged us to seek God and develop a deep relationship with him. This can be at any age, but if you were a child when you came to faith there might well be an adult or teenager who stands out in your memory.

In the book Sticky Faith, Kara Powell talks about how powerful mentors can be in our children’s lives, especially as they grow older. She says, “Other adults are often able to speak into your kids’ lives in a way that you cannot as their parent.” But these relationships don’t happen by accident.

The Sticky Faith research recommends inviting five adults to input into your child’s life. They might be grandparents, family friends, a youth pastor, or even teenagers from church. But why not pray and ask God to show you people that you can trust who will have a big impact on your child as they grow in faith.

As parents we can intentionally invest in developing relationships with other families and people that we trust who can help our children when they might not want to talk or listen to us. It can help them feel value from the wider family of God, and have a greater understanding of belonging to the family of God.

Have a great week!
Becky and the Kitchen Table Project team

Blog post: Mentor moments

Idea: Shoulder to shoulder 

Long-lasting impact

Please send us your stories of inspiring faith at home – good and bad – we know it’s a rollercoaster! We’d love to include them in our emails and on the blog.