Statistics and I have a love/hate relationship. It was probably my least favorite course in college, but I have to grudgingly admit statistics can provide some helpful information. Statistics can be skewed, but if the methodology is sound, the results can teach you some important things.
The Barna Group is well known in religious circles for their research on Christian issues. They specialize in trying to analyze what makes a person live (or not live) a truly Christian lifestyle. Their books are often bestsellers, perhaps because they try to sort out the difference between Christians “in name only” and those who are really close to “practicing what they preach”.
They conducted a study a few years ago which produced a book Revolutionary Parenting. Since my stack of real and virtual books is taller than I am, I have to admit I have only read the summary. What a powerful summary it is! (Barna Summary on Parenting)
Do you want serving God to be the top priority in your children’s adult lives? Do you want them to have a Biblical worldview? Do you want them to be actively worshipping and serving God and sharing their faith? The Barna Group’s conclusion was that parents who actively and purposefully parented their children towards God were the parents who produced the vast majority of these children.
Sadly, only ten percent of young adults could be described as the Christians detailed above. When the Barna Group analyzed the parenting these young active Christians had received, it was active and intentional as well as godly. How did the Barna Group describe the parents who weren’t as successful? Parents who parented “by default” and parents who used “trial and error” as their parenting approach!
Do you have a plan for raising your child to put God first for the rest of his life? Are you actively training her to serve God? Are you intentional in teaching your child God’s principles and how to share her faith? If not, you may not get the results you want. To parent like Hannah and dedicate your child to God, you must be intentional!
The link to the book above is an affiliate link. If you purchase the book through this link, I will receive some compensation. It will add nothing to your cost. I have not read the book and only mention it because of the data and conclusions in its summary. I have no affiliation with the Barna Group, other than finding their information interesting!.