Passing on the Faith

PASSING ON THE FAITH

Passing on Our Faith to Our Children

As Orthodox Christian parents, guardians and caregivers, our deepest hope should be for our children to love God and embrace the Orthodox Christian Faith with all their hearts. How can we do this? How can we ensure the growth of their faith? We can create conditions which allow for faith to blossom and pray that the children will ultimately choose faith in Christ and attend His Church. We know that loving God and His Church IS what is best for them. In a homily on advice for parents, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware addressed this very concern. “If our children are to remain faithful to the path of salvation, then one important thing will be, ‘What did they see in their parents?’”  He goes on to say, that it is “not the way you TALK about your faith, but the way you LIVE it.” Are we overbearing or apathetic about our faith? Do we ask forgiveness of each other? Does our home have a prayer corner with icons? Do we read and study the Bible with our young ones? Does the family attend Church regularly? As parents do we care for others and give donations? Are we active in the life of the Church? Do we observe the fasting periods? How about regular censing of the home and blessings with holy water to dispel evil influences which may come in through TV, the internet, reading materials, evil thoughts, foul language, etc.? Do we help our children recognize and avoid the world’s evil and immorality? After our children pray, do we ask them how they felt about their prayer?

Studies show that children learn both positive and negative behaviours by observing the adults in their family. Therefore, the modeling of positive behaviours (e.g. loving God and His Church) will positively affect our children.

This Age is Causing Young People to Seek Answers

According to a recent article from Axios (See: Erica Pandey, May 10, 2025), members of Gen Z – people born between 1997 and 2012 – are actually more likely to go to weekly religious services than millennials and young Gen Xers. According to some reports, church attendance has quadrupled among Gen Zers in recent years. Barna’s State of the Church 2025 report (Gen Z Vol. 3) found 52% of teenagers indicated they were “very motivated” to learn more about Jesus, and 77% expressed at least some interest.

This trend seems to be a natural reaction against the pressures and evils of this age. Consider the degradation of marriage, the confusion of gender ideology, abortion by the millions, tens of thousands killed by Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), rampant drug abuse, violence, poor job prospects, expensive cost of living, lack of trust in institutions because of corruption, the rise of occultism, etc. It seems reasonable for young people to see the need to run to a place of comfort and security – and that place is God. They thirst for stability, meaning and Truth. They want to know if Jesus speaks to real life: mental health, injustice, identity and purpose.

Why We Might Not Want to Pass on the Faith

We fear being stigmatized as “very religious,” a label usually ascribed by people who aren’t practicing Christians. The presumption is that Christianity’s beliefs and practices are extreme. But if we look at the lives of the most holy saints, we see only compassion, a proclamation of healthy human virtues, and a willingness to sacrifice themselves for others and for Christ.

How about the phrase “I’m spiritual but not religious”? It is true that some have turned away from the Church because of the imperfections of the people in it. They will sometimes go to other spiritual practices and dabble with the occult, or end up with an open-ended spirituality that leads to disorder. Losing their way because of the imperfections of some people does not mean that Christ is imperfect. In fact, He is The Way. Indeed, He is perfect, omnipotent and omnipresent in the mysteries of the Church – Baptism, Confession and Holy Communion. And His message is the Truth they seek.

How the Orthodox Faith Spread in the World

In the Great Commission, Christ told His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The history of our Orthodox Faith was not spread through pushy preaching, aggressive proselytizing and marketing. Yes, there was preaching, but no forceful efforts at persuasion. Evangelism was not done through argumentation. It was done through an encounter with God.

Christian debate and argumentation began during the Protestant Reformation in Western Europe. Towns, villages, families and communities were divided against one another. Protestants were trying to win over their Catholic friends and family, while Catholics were trying to persuade the Protestants to return.

The Orthodox missionaries didn't conquer other lands, claim them for a foreign king, or impose Orthodoxy on other people. When the Church sent out missionaries to other places – to the Syrians or Goths, to Gaul, Spain, Britain, or Alaska – the missionaries simply lived among the people. Usually, they were monks who had a unique way of life which attracted people to the Church. The missionaries translated the Bible and prayers into Native languages which facilitated instruction and, if the Natives so wished, their baptism into the Faith.  In 20th century China, millions who had been evangelized by the Russian missionaries, were killed for their Orthodox Faith by the communists.

The Russian missionaries were initially sent to Alaska as part of the fur trade, serving the families of the fur trappers, hunters, and fishermen who had married native Alaskan women. They always defended the Natives against their fellow Russian merchants who would exploit them. Orthodox missionaries lived among the people and helped them, teaching them love and faith. The Natives also witnessed many different miracles. Through Orthodox worship, with the gentle, loving example of the missionaries –  experiencing the presence of God – the Natives became interested and believed, and embraced the Orthodox Faith.

When people enter a Church, hear the prayers and chanting, when they witness the consecration of the Body and Blood of Christ, they are attracted to the Church. Arguing with them about the superiority of Orthodox Christianity is not the way. Just as parents live the faith to set an example for their children, and to show them the way to Christ, we should all live the faith. The conversion of people to faith is achieved, not so much by the teaching of a distinctive doctrine, but by the manifestation of the Power of God.