Hannah S. is a wife, mother, friend, daughter. She is a disciple-maker, helping her kids know, love, and follow Jesus alongside a great community of Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS)! Here is her blog on parenting as disciple-making!

Growing up, my family was highly involved in our church community. Between the weekly children’s services, choir practices, and meetings, if we weren’t at home, we were probably at church. My church community became my family. Looking back, I’m so thankful for this rich experience I received. Church is where I learned about God, memorized Scripture that teaches me to this day, and where I learned what it means to live in community with others.

As a parent, I want my children to be successful, thrive, finding their identity in Jesus. It only takes a few minutes to scroll to realize that everyone is fighting for your attention and for your kids’ attention. Lots of voices tell you who you should be, but I want my kids to base their identity on who God says they are in His Word. While I’ll be teaching these truths at home, I also want to raise my children in a church community where they will hear Biblical truth outside of home too. Here are three reasons to raise your kids in church:

Discover Your Identity: 1 John 3:1 says, “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” Every child is deeply loved by God. Your child is deeply loved and valued by God! This truth is echoed throughout the stories and verses in the Bible that kids learn at church. This truth is what sets the foundation for identity formation. Growing in this knowledge helps kids face the challenges in their lives with confidence and peace because their value doesn’t come from what others think - it comes from God.
2. Love Your Neighbor: Mark 12:30-31 says, “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” The church is beautifully diverse, with people from all different backgrounds and life experiences, and together in unity, not uniformity, is what reveals God’s heart for all people. Our children learn that God values and loves all of us regardless of our behavior. Therefore, we love others and treat them with respect not because of how they treat us, but because God loved us when we were at our worst (Romans 5:8).
3. Live In Community: Romans 12:4-5 says, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” Within the search for identity is the pursuit of community for a sense of belonging. Hidden within the search for identity is the search for a community that everyone can belong to and feel comfortable to be their authentic selves. Building relationships within a church community gives children a sense of belonging within a group and provides them with learning opportunities that are unique to them. My own knowledge and understanding of God is limited to my experiences, but when I bring my children to church, their understanding of God is enriched by others’ diverse experiences.

Navigating parenting is hard work! Helping our children navigate who they are and how to build community with others is a full-time job and can be overwhelming at times. The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone! If you are looking for community to belong to as a family, Canyon Ridge is a place you can belong before you believe, and when you do, help others to do the same! Canyon Ridge has community-rich services, baptism classes to help understand what it means to walk with Jesus, and summer camps for kids and students! Remember, life is always better together!

3 Reasons To Raise Your Kids In Church