Regular Church Attendance of Children Predicts Faithful Adulthood

Children who attend church regularly at age 12 and have a good relationship with their parents are more likely to continue attending church as adults, a recent survey by the nonprofit group Communio found. The study began as a response to a Pew Research Center study that found that 28 percent of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated.

Among those who reported weekly faith conversations with their parents, churchgoing adults demonstrated a higher ability to forgive those who had hurt them, as well as a greater sense of belonging in their church community. The study also found that those adults who had weekly conversations with their parents are 2.5 times more likely to have faith conversations with their own children. There was an even higher incidence among those who reported daily faith conversations, with these adults being 7.5 times more likely to have faith conversations with their children than those who had less frequent conversations with their parents while growing up.

Fathers play a particularly important role in the faith formation of their children. Those who attended a church service with their dad at least weekly or more frequently were much more likely to attend church regularly as adults and reported higher ability to forgive. However, those who had a strong relationship with their father were less likely to have open faith conversations with their children, a gap that Communio noted as a ministry opportunity. Overall, 48 percent of regular churchgoers said they do not have at least weekly faith conversations with their own children.

Communio encourages parents to “sanctify everyday rhythms,” such as using a regular pickup time from school as a time to engage in faith conversations. It also encourages parents to ask questions, drawing their children’s attention to the ways God has been present throughout their day.

“The good news here is any Christian parent not already having these conversations with their kids can take a step today to make this a regular part of their routine,” said J.P. De Gance, founder and president of Communio.

–Alan Goforth