I think this story about Aaron in Exodus 32 is a great example of the need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Aaron hadn’t spoken with God. It was Moses that was a friend to God. Aaron had just heard about Him, heard what He wanted to be obeyed. But He wasn’t doing it out of a relationship, out of a personal relationship. He hadn’t had an encounter with the living God.

There were studies conducted that showed many kids stop going to church once they leave home and it startled people. We were losing the youth. We were losing the future of the church.

Then churches worked to be more hip, more attractive to the youth. The music got louder and louder. Worship now resembles a concert with band members on a stage with a spotlight. There’s more, but I’ll leave it at that.

The whole move to that type of church stems from this dropping out of the church. But that wasn’t the point. Keeping kids in church as they transitioned to adulthood was not the point at all.

Haven’t we all heard the analogy, sitting in a church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car? We don’t need our kids and young adults in church. We need them to have a relationship with Jesus.

A person with a relationship with Jesus is someone who seeks Him, fellowships with Him, wants to learn more about Him, and wants to fellowship with others who are following Him. They will go to church. They will go to Bible study. They won’t be faith dropouts.

We can justify all our church trappings by saying getting more people into church means more people hearing the gospel, learning the Bible. But is the gospel preached? In trying to get people into the church, have we watered down the message of ‘surrender all?’

Maybe what those kids need is to leave the church, acknowledge that they aren’t Christians, and let God do His thing in their lives. Staying in church, thinking that means they are saved, is not a safer position to be in, IF your goal is that child’s salvation.

Is your goal for your child to simply be in church, or that God has His way with them and brings them safely home to Himself? Can you trust Him with the job?