These are crucial conversations. Yes, they’ll require some homework on your part, but there’s no way around it: if you care about your kids’ spiritual futures, you need to get yourself up to speed.
I’ve done a lot of that homework for you in my book Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents’ Guide to Discussing Homosexuality With Teens. Actually it’s helpful for guiding kids at any age — and you can read it in just an evening. With it you really can get equipped for these critical conversations.
Whatever you do, you’ve got to get the conversations rolling. If not, someone else surely will, with a message very unfriendly to their Christian faith. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of confusion among kids in the church. Your children need you to connect with them through these very critical conversations, so you can guide them through to clear, faith-affirming, positive answers.
Adapted from infoforfamilies.com, a ministry founded by Barrett and Jenifer Johnson. After serving in the local church for 25 years, Barrett and Jenifer launched INFO for Families as a ministry designed to encourage people through speaking, personal coaching and resource development. Barrett served for 15 years in youth ministry before serving for eight years as the Family Minister at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Atlanta, one of the largest churches in the South. He has degrees from Texas A&M University and Southwestern Seminary, but he and Jenifer have received their best education through the no-holds-barred nature of everyday family life.
