Raising Children…Still a Priority?

Raising children is apparently not as prevalent in the life of American adults as it used to be.

A study just released by Rutgers University includes an essay titled Life Without Children. In the study, the authors, who are co-directors of the National Marriage Project, observe an important trend in American life: “…due to later age of marriage, lower fertility, and expanded life expectancy, a larger share of the adult lives of Americans consist of the years spent without minor children in the household.” As a result, American adults are seemingly becoming more concerned about matters having to do with their own welfare than they are about sustaining an extended focus on child rearing. Raising kids is no longer a primary purpose of adulthood and marriage…it is merely one of the aspects of this stage of life, and may not even be a part of it for some.

LOGOS wonders if this may explain a finding by Barna Research in 2005 that documented the ranking of children and youth among the stated ministry priorities of church pastors and leaders. Of the top 12 priorities commonly identified by survey participants in the Barna study, ministry to teens was sixth, ministry to children was ninth, and family ministry was 11th. An adult congregation that is less concerned with matters having to do with raising a family will likely not identify children and youth as a key focal point for the life of the church itself. It make us wonder if children are becoming disenfranchised by the church?

At LOGOS, we are committed to a ministry with children and teens. We have seen that a vibrant, engaged LOGOS ministry can energize entire congregations and provide an exciting focal point for the life of the church. In doing so, LOGOS ministries can benefit both the young people who are its focal point and the adults who get involved.