Parenting Teenagers: Guiding Them Toward Faith

You're teaching and training your children to one day leave — and it's not easy. Most teenagers are convinced they already know everything there is to know. That's exactly why it's so important to partner with the church and get your teen plugged into age-appropriate ministry, where they'll hear from people who keep pointing them back to Christ.

Let God Guide Your Life

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6). Your kids learn far more from what they watch you do than from what you tell them, so your example matters more than you might think.

Take action: Make church a priority — your kids will follow your lead.

Give Your Teen What They Need — Even When They Don't Want It

Your role as a parent is to give your kids what they need, whether or not they ask for it. Teenagers want what they want, when they want it, and often don't realize that what they're asking for could hurt them. Part of your job is keeping them safe from themselves as they navigate this challenging season.

Discipline Is an Expression of Love

It's tempting to try to be your teen's friend, but that's one of the least loving things you can do as a parent. Your role is to lead your kids — and to correct them when they need it. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).

One of the best things you can do is get your student connected to other believers their age. The Mix, our student ministry, gives them a place to grow in faith and friendship every week.