Faith inheritance is something that every Christian should value most. While many people understand this principle, they often feel helpless in trying to implement it. A family that has passed down the Christian faith through generations is often admired by many Christians. However, when the younger generation turns away from the faith, it is undoubtedly a great pain and regret for those who remain. So, what can we actively do to pass on the faith?
To discuss this topic, several pastors, preachers, and believers shared their insights with the Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper. Among them were seniors in their 80s, pastors from families with multiple generations of faith, young ministers who had just become fathers, and first-generation Christians in their families. They shared the influence of living examples, the role of encouragement from elders in the family, and the role of the church.
Born into a Christian family, Pastor Zheng has been introduced to hymns at home since his childhood. Around the age of five or six, every Sunday night, his family held a prayer meeting. At that time, he didn’t know how to pray, so he would just say "Amen" along with his grandparents and parents. His love for the Bible originated from a family tradition: after the Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner, the big family would sing hymns from Hymns of Universal Praise, a Chinese hymnal published in 1936, then dig out the Bible from behind the wall (during the special period). An elder would read it with great reverence, careful not to mispronounce a single word. In such an atmosphere, even breathing seemed like a transgression.
Zheng's father lived for over eighty years and never uttered a harsh word to anyone. His family now consists of hundreds of people, and none of them have gone through a divorce. His three children are successful in their work, actively participating in church gatherings, and their family life is harmonious.
Like Pastor Zheng, Pastor Su’s faith journey was also deeply influenced by his family, but he grew up in a much more challenging time. Born during the Cultural Revolution where all churches were closed, Pastor Su, a fourth-generation believer, inherited the faith from his grandparents. His maternal grandfather was a preacher, and often, when there were tasks from higher authorities, he had to be forced to join "parades." Pastor Su only attended two church meetings as a child, one of which was late at night, where they had to use secret codes to enter. The room was surrounded by cotton quilts to prevent the sound of singing from leaking outside, and they could only speak in whispers.
At home, every meal was preceded by a prayer from his grandfather. When his grandfather went out for secret visits, he would recite the Christian Three Character Classic with his grandmother: "Our Father in heaven, the true God..."
When it was time to teach his son, he was determined that his son must accept the faith. After his son became an adult, he said, “Both of your parents are preachers, so we won’t leave you a house or a car because we really can’t afford them, but what we can give you is the most precious thing in the world—faith.”
His son accepted Jesus and, while studying at Fudan University in Shanghai, visited all the churches in the city, including those in the suburbs.
Similarly, Pastor Lin grew up in a Christian family and was most influenced by his grandmother. He remembers that his grandmother would gather the whole family every night to sing hymns and pray. He would lean on her, and she would hold him while praying. He lived with his grandmother since he was a child, and every day she would get up before 5 am to pray. From his grandmother, he saw what it meant to live out faith.
However, as he grew older, he lost his passion for the faith, and every Saturday, his mother would call him, urging him to go to church on Sunday. Today, he and his Christian wife often read the Bible and pray together, continuing the legacy of faith in the next generation.
Minister Zuo is the second-generation believer in his family. His mother is Christian, but his father is not. When he was young, his mother always insisted on attending church gatherings. Whenever there was a difficulty, his mother faced it with a hopeful attitude, unlike his father, whose attitude was different. His mother’s faith influenced the children, as they always supported her wholeheartedly.
His mother’s support also helped him embark on ministry. She encouraged the children to give up their work to pursue faith. Today, he believes that when educating the next generation, he should learn from his mother. Parents need to show children the value of faith and lead them to God. “If children are willing to dedicate themselves to pursuing faith, we, as elders, must support them,” he added.
Unlike others, Sister Luo is the first-generation Christian in her family. When taking care of her two-year-old granddaughter, she often sings hymns, and sometimes the baby happily says “Amen.” Her daughter works in another city and cannot attend church regularly, but whenever she has something on her mind, she calls her mother, knowing that she will pray for her. When her daughter comes home on weekends, she takes her to church, telling her that this time belongs to God and that there are no excuses.
Pastor Wei's approach to faith inheritance is more focused on being a role model. He has one son and one daughter. Although he hasn’t deliberately trained them, they started praying and reading the Bible at a very young age. He believes that to create a good environment for faith in the family, parents need to live out God’s word in the home and show the significance and value of marriage. He mentioned that many people today hesitate to marry because their parents' marriages are not good.
In addition to family efforts, he emphasized the role of the church. He has a relative who is the only Christian in her family. After raising her children, she brought them to church, but after attending one sermon, they stopped coming. On the one hand, this was because the pastor’s accent was strong, and on the other, because the sermon lacked a central theme. This made him realize that Sunday sermons must be more targeted. He also suggested that the church should establish “mom groups” to train mothers, thereby helping families better pass on the faith.
Brother Wang is a third-generation Christian. His daughter is still attending school but has been adopting the faith from her parents since childhood. Whenever he has the chance, he encourages her to continue attending gatherings. “I think young people are often lazy, and parents need to remind them more often. Once you bring them to church and let them experience the atmosphere, they will be more motivated to stick with it.”
- Translated by the editorial team
