Fifth-Generation Christian Minister on Family's Role in Faith Inheritance

A Christian family stand with cross for worship God.
A Christian family stand with cross for worship God. (photo: Canva.com)
By Rebecca WangJanuary 8th, 2025

How can faith be passed on to the next generation? This question concerns not only various churches but also numerous Christian parents. In the digital era, children are exposed to the Internet and social media since childhood, leaving them vulnerable to the influence of misguided values. Even though their parents hold beliefs, the younger generation may drift away.

Recently, Sister Lu, a grassroots preacher from East China, shared her faith journey to becoming a full-time preacher and the impact of her family's faith on her life in an interview with the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper. 

She believes that a family’s faith culture and history are essential in shaping the faith of younger generations. She emphasizes the importance of parents maintaining good relationships with their children while helping them recognize their value and the value of others, living with the understanding that they are children of God.

God's Word Saved Her Life.

Sister Lu is a fifth-generation Christian in a family of believers. Until high school, Lu kept achieving excellent grades. However, upon entering high school, she lost interest in studying, struggling to find the meaning of study.

Feeling the world's emptiness, Lu also lost the meaning of life. One day, a persistent thought harassed her: jumping from the highest point of the school building. In her moment of despair, a scripture suddenly came to mind, "Always trusts, always hope, always perseveres," expelling her thoughts of suicide. Despite having been posted on the wall of her home, she had never paid much attention to it—yet it unexpectedly saved her life.

​​As the college entrance examination soon approached, Lu’s family prayed daily for her success. One day, they organized a group to travel to her dormitory, 70 to 80 kilometers away from home, to pray for her in person. Deeply moved by their love, Lu began to seek God’s help and devoted herself to preparing for the exam.

A hymn's melody echoed in Lu's mind the day before the college entrance examination. That evening, as she opened her Bible to read as part of her usual routine, she came across Psalm 37—the source of the hymn's lyrics. She felt it was God’s encouragement.

After completing the examination, Lu got good grades. While waiting for the admission letter, she discovered that her first and second choices had not accepted her. Turning to prayer for God’s guidance, she soon received successful admission from a university.

A Deeper Confirmation of God’s Calling Through Service 

Upon entering college, Lu sought to find a youth fellowship. However, due to the remote location of her campus, there were no nearby churches or fellowships. As a result, she and several Christian schoolmates began gathering regularly for Bible study.

As the Bible study group grew in number, their gathering mode updated beyond just Bible study. They began inviting church pastors to preach regularly. However, due to the distance from the city, the preachers often failed to make it, so Lu and other Christian students shared God's word with the group. Despite their limited experience at the time, God continued to bring new people to the group. During college, Lu devoted herself to Bible study apart from her academic work, contributing to her growth in faith.

After graduation, Lu served in the church while working, but she always desired to serve God full-time in the future.

In 2014, Lu fell in love. When her boyfriend proposed, she said, "In the future, I may choose to serve God full-time. If you agree to this, we will get married." After careful consideration, her boyfriend responded, "I can accept that."

In 2016, Lu and her husband settled in their current city, where they were introduced to a church near their home and began serving there. In early December 2019, the pastor invited her to serve full-time. Feeling that the time had come, she started her full-time service.

The Influence of Family Faith on Lu 

Born into a Christian family with members serving in the church, Lu grew up in an environment rooted in faith. From a young age, she often heard the elders of her family testify to God's work. One such testimony came from her father, who, as a child, had an unknown growth on his body. One night, he dreamed of being healed, and the following day, the growth was gone. Numerous similar miracles have occurred in her family.

Lu explained why her family's faith can be passed down through five generations: "There is a strong atmosphere of faith in my family. Every time we gather, we testify to God's grace. The story of faith has been passed down from one generation to the next. Although the younger generation may not always have a close relationship with God, we are all certain about God’s existence."

Every Christian family must have a faith culture that influences the next generation. Lu added: "Every time we listen to sermons and pray at home, my daughter plays beside us. One day, I asked her to pray, and she prayed, 'God, make us as wise as Daniel.'"

How Can Christian Families Pass on Their Faith? 

Lu remarked that many Christians do not fully understand the meaning of faith inheritance. While numerous parents prioritize leaving financial wealth to their children, they often neglect that spiritual wealth is far more important.

First, inheritance is closely related to the connection among relationships. In an age where relationships between people are easily broken, inheritance cannot occur without this connection.

Secondly, inheritance is incomplete without honor. Honor is to recognize ourselves and others as the original creations of God. The precious aspects within us should be continually aroused by God's love and grace, and we must view everyone through God's eyes. When people experience honor, inheritance will naturally follow.

- Edited and translated by Poppy Chan

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