PK 101

You know ministry kids often get a bad rap. They are all too often labeled as being bad children, wild teens, and fallen away young adults. However, I personally believe some of the issues our children deal with are from the many labels and pressures placed upon them by our own church family.

I have many friends who are in the ministry whose children no longer want anything to do with church. For many of these now grown children, the pressures placed upon them were unrealistic and after a while they went the way of the world. How sad that the one place that should be a haven of safety and encouragement can often be seen as a place of ridicule and judgement.

I want to go on record and say I am so very blessed to have two awesome Christian sons who still serve their Lord and attend church. Stephen and Bryan will be the first to tell you that they faced some difficult days from their friends at church. My husband and I have picked up pieces of broken hearts and being the mom, I have popped a few M & Ms while trying to refrain from speaking my mind to some individuals. Stephen and Bryan have been laughed at, ridiculed, and many times not invited to a gathering just because they were PKs. However, with the negative my sons experienced, they also received great love and encouragement from other people. I look back now I see the many positive influences in their lives.

For instance, Stephen still has a close bond with two friends who were in our church and also in high school with him. These three young adults have seen each other through good days and bad. Even though they do not live close to one another now, I know their friendship will always be strong. Another example can be found in Bryan. He has many people who have touched his life, but one older bachelor, who is in his 80’s and who we call our adopted PawPaw, is one of Bryan’s favorite people. When Bryan was a preschooler, Mr. Derald would visit with Bryan almost daily. If Bryan snuck out of the yard, I knew I would find him next door at Mr. Derald’s. Because of this man’s influence in his live, Bryan not only has a great gift with children but he loves senior adults too. (Even though he did not live in Nashville, when he comes to visit, he always looks for his little girlfriend. Did I mention she is in her eighties? )

If your children are experiencing some of the negative forces from church, be sensitive to it. Help them discover the good in a church family. Show them how to develop great relationships. Trust me, there is more good in a church than bad because it is where God’s family can be found.