what is a parent's most important job?
gospel reset
Jennifer Luhman (MLHS 2003) her husband, Jordan (MLHS 2003), with sons, Jackson and Wyatt.
My grandmother recently gave me a book called Gospel Reset, by Ken Ham. After reading it, I felt compelled to write about the importance of Christian education, from my perspective.
Before I started attending parochial school, I attended a public elementary school. During these public school years, I attended church and Sunday school every Sunday and my mother read devotions with us almost every night. I think it is fair to say that I was raised in a devout Christian home and given the typical educational resources to nurture and sustain my faith. One day I brought home a book from school. This book was a child’s version of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, aka the Jehovah’s Witness Bible, given to me by a friend. I believe I read this book without my parent’s knowledge for about a week before they found out and had me return the book to my friend. This is just one example of how susceptible young people are to conformity, appeasement, misdirection, peer influence, etc, and despite my typical Christian upbringing, my salvation could have been jeopardized.
The main focus of Ken Ham’s book is reaching the younger generations and making the Bible relevant to them. As I read this, I found myself feeling like an “inadequate Christian” for my lack of active ministry. While there are always opportunities to educate or invite community members, I find that it is for the most part, inopportune. However, within this focus Ham also emphasizes the importance of proper education, which is the means of building a solid foundation. This includes going to God’s word for truth and recognizing His truth as absolute--- not to be compromised by new age thought and political correctness. In other words, unchanging.
After thinking hard about how I could do my part, I realized something. I am responsible for the up-bringing and spiritual welfare of my two boys, and in consequence, maybe the generations thereafter. That’s significant! My most important job is to make sure my sons grow up knowing Jesus Christ’s promise of salvation and to ensure they are provided with the tools to protect their faith, not just now, but throughout their entire life. That is why Christian education is so important. Sunday school is not enough. Our youth need constant interaction with God’s Word and a thorough understanding of how to apply it and defend it. They need guidance on recognizing falsehoods and maintaining the truth.
Ken Ham states that 90-95% of church-going youth attend public schools where they are taught anti-Christian beliefs as fact (evolution, big bang, million years, etc..), and a majority of them fail to recognize actual sin. So the fear is no longer as improbable as bringing home a friend’s book of false doctrine.
Anti-Christian beliefs are being taught in nearly every corner of the public school system; a system where Christ is not welcome. But there is hope. Christian education can be your defense. The strongest ministry we can do might just be right here, starting with our youth. And everyone can help, whether through enrollment in, financial aid for, or promotion of our local Christian schools.
In closing, while success and achievement are important (and you will certainly find that at Martin Luther as well), they are not the most important thing. The most important thing is and always will be Christ. You may have heard the saying, “If you don’t teach your children the right way, the world will teach them the wrong way.” Well it’s absolutely true. Our society is desensitizing us to sin and our ability to recognize it. I often joke that my sons’ teachers help raise my children. But it is not a joke; it is fact. They help keep Christ the center of their life when my husband and I are absent, ensuring a strong foundation in Jesus. A foundation that will last a lifetime.
Therefore, I urge you, please let Christian education be the curb that keeps your child on track during these pivotal structuring ages.
Sincerely,
Jennifer (Morris) Luhmann
2003 MLHS Alumni
Before I started attending parochial school, I attended a public elementary school. During these public school years, I attended church and Sunday school every Sunday and my mother read devotions with us almost every night. I think it is fair to say that I was raised in a devout Christian home and given the typical educational resources to nurture and sustain my faith. One day I brought home a book from school. This book was a child’s version of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, aka the Jehovah’s Witness Bible, given to me by a friend. I believe I read this book without my parent’s knowledge for about a week before they found out and had me return the book to my friend. This is just one example of how susceptible young people are to conformity, appeasement, misdirection, peer influence, etc, and despite my typical Christian upbringing, my salvation could have been jeopardized.
The main focus of Ken Ham’s book is reaching the younger generations and making the Bible relevant to them. As I read this, I found myself feeling like an “inadequate Christian” for my lack of active ministry. While there are always opportunities to educate or invite community members, I find that it is for the most part, inopportune. However, within this focus Ham also emphasizes the importance of proper education, which is the means of building a solid foundation. This includes going to God’s word for truth and recognizing His truth as absolute--- not to be compromised by new age thought and political correctness. In other words, unchanging.
After thinking hard about how I could do my part, I realized something. I am responsible for the up-bringing and spiritual welfare of my two boys, and in consequence, maybe the generations thereafter. That’s significant! My most important job is to make sure my sons grow up knowing Jesus Christ’s promise of salvation and to ensure they are provided with the tools to protect their faith, not just now, but throughout their entire life. That is why Christian education is so important. Sunday school is not enough. Our youth need constant interaction with God’s Word and a thorough understanding of how to apply it and defend it. They need guidance on recognizing falsehoods and maintaining the truth.
Ken Ham states that 90-95% of church-going youth attend public schools where they are taught anti-Christian beliefs as fact (evolution, big bang, million years, etc..), and a majority of them fail to recognize actual sin. So the fear is no longer as improbable as bringing home a friend’s book of false doctrine.
Anti-Christian beliefs are being taught in nearly every corner of the public school system; a system where Christ is not welcome. But there is hope. Christian education can be your defense. The strongest ministry we can do might just be right here, starting with our youth. And everyone can help, whether through enrollment in, financial aid for, or promotion of our local Christian schools.
In closing, while success and achievement are important (and you will certainly find that at Martin Luther as well), they are not the most important thing. The most important thing is and always will be Christ. You may have heard the saying, “If you don’t teach your children the right way, the world will teach them the wrong way.” Well it’s absolutely true. Our society is desensitizing us to sin and our ability to recognize it. I often joke that my sons’ teachers help raise my children. But it is not a joke; it is fact. They help keep Christ the center of their life when my husband and I are absent, ensuring a strong foundation in Jesus. A foundation that will last a lifetime.
Therefore, I urge you, please let Christian education be the curb that keeps your child on track during these pivotal structuring ages.
Sincerely,
Jennifer (Morris) Luhmann
2003 MLHS Alumni