PreachingHelp.org As a parent of four, I have a little experience in the process of raising children and then turning them over to new surroundings, new schools, and new churches when they reached college age. As each of our children left the shelter of our home and “spread their wings” in a college environment, my wife and I prayed that the biblical values and doctrines we instilled in our children would not be contradicted, but reaffirmed, by their friends, their school, and the church where they settled.
Living in Knoxville, TN makes us the recipients of many of your children. Our immediate area is the home to the University of Tennessee, Pellissippi State, Roane State, South College, Walter State, and Tennessee Technology Center. Consequently, as a fellow parent, I wish to offer you this piece of advice.
Be sure that you help your son or daughter find a good church where they can get plugged in. This doesn’t mean finding the closest church to your child’s college campus, but investigating churches to ensure they will be teaching and modeling the truth before your children.
There are quite a few good churches in Knoxville. I wish I could say all the churches in Knoxville are biblically sound, but that cannot be said of every congregation. The fact that a building has an appropriate designation on its sign or the front of the building doesn’t mean it’s so. Sadly, some churches have turned aside from proclaiming truths that you taught your children at home.
Recently a congregation closest and most convenient to the UT campus informed their members that they were doing away with gender-based role distinctions in worship. They stated that public service in worship in their congregation will now be based on “giftedness and not gender.”
Furthermore, concerning the question of whether women can serve as elders in this congregation, they simply stated they hadn’t yet reached a consensus on this matter.
Parents, without proper investigation, you may unknowingly be placing your child in an environment that undermines the biblical values and truths you worked so hard to instill in them. This open letter is not being written to promote the Karns congregation, but to make you aware and to investigate the congregation where your child may be worshiping. As I stated, there are several faithful congregations in Knoxville, wherein your child can thrive, but make no assumptions. Investigate! Make a list of questions and don’t be bashful to ask for answers. If one is offended at such questions or is hesitant to answer them, that in and of itself, should tell you something.
I am simply concerned about the spiritual welfare of your most valuable possession – your children. In approximately one month, you will be dropping off your children, possibly for the first time, and a great deal is at stake. Beware. Investigate. And do what you can to secure the spiritual well-being of your children when they may be more vulnerable than they have ever been before. There are many voices beckoning your children. Many “pipers are piping,” but do your best to make sure the voices your children are hearing are proclaiming Biblical truth.