NOW MORE THAN EVER
The Importance of Grounding Today ’ s Children
E very generation is distinctly different from the ones before , and Generation Alpha ( children born from 2010 through now ) follows that same pattern . While the generations may have unique differences , there is one thing all have in common . Every generation and every child needs the saving grace of Jesus , and they need to be grounded in His Word . Every man , woman , and child needs Jesus . However , when you look at Generation Alpha and the challenges they face , you might feel like I do , that now , more than ever , we have to reach and ground today ’ s children .
Having worked with children for almost half of my life , I have made it my job to understand children and how to best reach them for the Kingdom . Having lived in the world of children for so long , I understand that world . At least , I thought I did .
This past year , I took a small group of pre-teens to a weekend event . What I concluded , after reflecting on the trip , floored me . Among these church-attending pre-teens living
BY AMBER PIKE
in the suburbs of the Bible Belt , I discovered that some had experienced being bullied this past year . Most were from a broken home , some with no father figure present . Many of these pre-teens faced extreme anxiety to the degree that it was affecting their quality of life . Others worried if their families would have enough money to buy food or pay rent that month . Some children had eating disorders , low self-worth , and thoughts of suicide . While playing a question-based card game , I asked the group of girls around me if they felt like they were loved unconditionally . Every single girl said no . These were girls I loved on , week after week in church , yet they felt not just unloved but unlovable .
That ’ s not even close to the full extent of things these children were facing , nor are issues like these isolated to just my group of preteens . All across the country and the world , our children are dealing with heavy things . The U . S . News reported that earlier this year the suicide rates for thirteen- and fourteen-
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