This is the latest ERLC end-of-year update as part of our RISE Campaign.
It’s not a new understanding that culture influences children—it always has. But in our current cultural climate, it might be easy to argue that Christian parents must be all the more diligent in educating themselves on current events and laws. Parents have to be intentional in engaging their children with the truth of Scripture. From policy shifts at traditional civic institutions like the Boy Scouts of America to mass shootings, parents must be at the forefront of helping shape their children and building a foundation that will last. Whether on the playground at their school or the halls of the church, our children will be taught, which is why it’s important to be a cross-shaped family in today’s culture.
The ERLC recognizes that the culture is ever changing and that it can be difficult to keep up with the news cycle in our fast-paced society. We also know the importance of equipping parents, ministry leaders, and churches in this pursuit of having a family that understands and is grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s why in early 2017, Russell Moore and Phillip Bethancourt developed Christ-Centered Parenting – Bible Study Book: Gospel Conversations on Complex Cultural Issues
Our Christ-Centered Parenting resource addresses topics including: gender issues, suicide, depression and anxiety, pornography, addiction and coping mechanisms, same-sex marriage, singleness, dating, marriage, and divorce. We hope this resource will help you give your kids a biblical worldview that will produce the next generation of culture shapers—not simply the next generation shaped by their culture. Churches around the country have been using this resource. It’s featured on our website, in Lifeway Stores, and on Amazon
In addition, our 2017 National Conference was exclusively about parenting. In particular, it was about how we, as parents and even those who influence children, can address complex issues in a confusing culture. You can find the videos for free, here. And in the fall of 2018, the ERLC will continue to help equip the church through another National Conference. The theme is the Cross-Shaped Family and features speakers such as Russell Moore, Jen Wilkin, Beth Moore, and worship leader, Aaron Ivey. We continue to have more people attend our conferences each year and expect next year to be no different.
We look forward to how the Lord might continue to use these resources to equip and build families centered on the gospel and raise up a generation of children saturated in the truth of God’s Word. We are grateful for your support.
Editor’s note: Trillia Newbell has written a unique and helpful children’s book titled, God's Very Good Idea: A True Story of God's Delightfully Different Family. You’ll want to grab a copy for the children in your life.
