I hear a lot about how young adults leave church. Some believe this to be the fault of the parents. No discipleship going on in the home. A hypocritical faith of the parents. No intentionality in their parenting.

My story is not like that.

By God’s grace, I haven’t left the church. I was raised in it. My dad was a pastor, in fact. So was his dad. And so was his dad. So is my father-in-law and my cousin. My uncle is a missionary. My brother is a church-planter. My other brother is a worship pastor. All that to say: I am about as “churched” as someone could possibly be.

There have been times when I have been frustrated with the church. I’ve had the same questions and issues others in my generation have had. Too much like a corporation. Not racially diverse. Concerned about silly things instead of the most important things.

But throughout all of that, I couldn’t separate what God was doing in me from what He wanted to do in His church. It felt strange for me to think about having a relationship with God through Jesus apart from the rest of His body. It was God who kept me in church.

So take this as a simple encouragement. Not everyone in my generation who was raised in church leaves. A godly legacy is possible. Investing in the lives of your children does make an impact. God’s purposes will stand. By His grace, I am living proof.