Parents Believe, but Children Walk Away: A Biblical Perspective on Generational Faith Breakdown
The Korean church today faces a subtle but serious crisis. Church pews still appear full on Sundays, yet behind this appearance, an entire generation is quietly disappearing—“the children of faith.” While parents continue to attend services and uphold church traditions, their children are increasingly drifting away from the faith community. This is no longer a statistical issue about shrinking youth groups. It is a structural rupture in the transmission of faith between generations—a foundational crisis.
Recent surveys show that the gospel penetration rate among those in their teens and twenties hovers around just 3%. Youth and college ministries at major churches are being reduced or merged. Not long ago, churches were expanding their educational facilities to accommodate overflowing Sunday schools. Now, many church leaders are asking whether those very ministries can even survive. This generational drift is not merely a decline in popularity; it signals a failure to pass on faith—beginning in the closest place: the home.
Faith Transmission Begins at Home, Not Just at Church
Many mistakenly believe the primary center of faith education is the church. Yet the Bible places this responsibility on parents. Deuteronomy 6:6–7 commands: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Faith is not passed through set times, places, or programs—it is sown into children through the repeated, everyday rhythms of a parent’s life.
But in many Christian homes today, biblical faith is not consistently transmitted. Parents mention faith on Sunday mornings, but during the week, Scripture and prayer are absent from daily life. Children often perceive their parents’ faith as a matter of church attendance, or worse, they experience hypocrisy between words and actions. When faith is seen as mere form, not truth, many young people naturally leave the church once they are able to make independent choices. This is not youthful rebellion—it is the inevitable result of a home culture where genuine faith has gone missing.
Timothy, the spiritual son of Paul, received his faith from his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (2 Timothy 1:5). This legacy was more than just familial—it was a testimony to how faith can be preserved and passed through generations. Paul affirmed Timothy’s faith and traced its roots directly to his home life. If the church today wants to raise such young leaders, it must first return to cultivating the soil of the homes where they are growing.
When the Home Becomes the First Pulpit, the Church Grows Again
Churches across Korea are deeply concerned about the future of their next generation. With emptying youth ministries and rising average congregational age, many recognize the urgent need for investment. Yet many of the proposed solutions rely on better programming or trendier content. The gospel, however, does not require slick packaging. It is passed through honest relationships built upon the Word and a life of integrity.
The church must first reestablish the home as the spiritual center. Homes must once again become places where Scripture is read, prayer is practiced, and faith is discussed. Churches should focus on equipping parents—not just to educate their children, but to embody faith in daily life. This is not merely a parenting course—it is a spiritual reclamation of the household.
A home that embraces faith becomes fertile ground for the church to grow. No matter how excellent a church’s sermons or programs may be, a child who loses the Word at home will struggle to put down spiritual roots. Children learn who God is through the lives of their parents, and then choose that relationship personally. The future of the church is not formed within the church walls alone—it begins in the living room and at the dinner table.
Generational disconnection in faith is a real and present challenge. Yet the gospel always offers the possibility of starting again. If just one family today decides to stand honestly before the Word, faith can take root anew. Infusing Scripture into conversation, praying at the table, and modeling faith in everyday choices—these are small but powerful ways to pass faith on. The church must walk with families in this journey, hand-in-hand, to raise a generation rooted in Christ. God remains the God of generations, and faith is still a living legacy.
Maeil Scripture Journal | Today’s World, A View Through the Word
