Faithful DYM blog reader Dave sent along this link to an article called Katy Perry and Why Pastor’s Kids Fall Away that really has some powerful insights about pastors raising their kids in the church. Here’s a clip from he most practical section on how to treat those students if they’re in your youth group, but the whole article is worth the read:

  • Let them be kids. They are not perfect. They are going to misbehave at times and make mistakes. Don’t say, “You should know better. You are the pastor’s kid!” This places unrealistic expectations on them.
  • Don’t mistreat their parents. When you talk about the pastor or cause strife in the church, you not only bring hurt to him, but you hurt his kids as well. Even if they don’t know the details (hopefully their parents are protecting them from the negative side of church), they sense when there is strife and division in the church.
  • Pour into their lives. Just because their father is the pastor, that doesn’t mean they don’t need other people to teach them, mentor them and speak into their lives. Yes, my parents were my primary spiritual influence, but there were also lots of godly leaders who poured into my life over the years. They all had a part in my decision to follow Christ.
  • Don’t place unrealistic expectations on their father that causes him to be gone from home all the time. Help protect their father’s time. They need a father at home just like other kids. Don’t contribute to them resenting the church because it took their father away all the time.

Head over to Charisma for the rest!

JG