Photo by: Henoc Kivuye
Speaker and author of “Will Our Children Have Faith?” John Westerhoff and author of “Intergenerational Christian Formation” Holly Allen will speak at the third annual Intergenerational Faith Center Dialogues on April 1.
Professor of Bible Dudley Chancey said that the focus this year is on intentional intergenerational faith transmission, and how this generation passes faith onto future children.
“All of those guys are talking about how we do faith intergenerationally,” Chancey said. “How do we pass [faith] on, how do we transmit our faith? And so this is just a continuation of that this year.”
The two speakers will promote their books, but the main focus is for them to talk about how parents and churches can be more involved to intentionally grow the next generations of children’s faith.
Oklahoma Christian – with the help of donors – created the foundation in 2011. The foundation seeks to help equip families as well as faith-based institutions by teaching with relevant research and practices.
This is the third year for the Intergenerational Faith Center to sponsor the dialogues. Past speakers include David Kinnaman, Barna Group president, and Gabe Lyons, a best-selling Christian author.
Westerhoff was a part of the initial process for the IFC Dialogues, so he is familiar with the organization, and Allen currently teaches at John Brown University – an expert on intergenerational ministry.
“They are bringing the past and present together, Chancey said.
This event is open to the public.
“We’ve invited a lot of the community to come, and are sending more personal letters to the churches to say, ‘Bring the parents, bring the parents that have children,’” Chancey said. “Let them hear about this and encourage them.”
Chancey clarified that the Dialogues would be beneficial for anyone who is raising or plans to raise a family.
“I think anybody that has children or is thinking about having children should be there and hear this to get started off on the right foot,” Chancey said. “There are a lot of parents out there right now that have just been kind of going to church and hoping the church would make their kids spiritual and faithful, and it’s not happening. We’re having a ton of kids walking away from church when they get out of high school, and so there’s something that’s not being passed on.”
The speakers will discuss practical ideas and how those outside of an immediate family can help.
Sophomore Forrest Whiddon said knowing how to talk about faith is an important aspect of family that should be passed on between generations.
“Parents need to know how to teach their children about their faith,” Whiddon said. “… I think it will be something that people will understand is needed.”
Sophomore Mitch Jones noted that the Dialogues would help this generation speak to the next generation on their own faith.
“I think that we as Christians need to give an example and be willing to share knowledge, not just with a random stranger on the street but with our own kids,” Jones said.
Jones agreed that the IFC Dialogues could help this generation relate more and share their faith more naturally with the coming generation.
“There’s definitely a falling out, especially recently in this generation and probably the upcoming one,” Jones said. “There’s a falling out of Christians from the church around teenage years. So how to teach your kids, even if it’s not necessarily cool to your peers to be Christian, is something that you need to be able to stand up for and say, ‘You know what, this is what I believe.’”
According to Jones, anyone that wants to be able to talk to their children and help communicate better on how faith plays role in their lives doesn’t hide from this conversation.
“I think a big deal is communication, like not just leaving it under the rug,” Jones said.
This event will take place April 1 at 7 p.m. in Judd Theater and is open to the community.
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