How should parents teach doctrine to their children?
Question 11072
This question goes to the heart of faithful Christian parenting. Moses commanded Israel: “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7). The instruction of children in God’s truth is not optional. It is commanded. And it is primarily the responsibility of parents, not the church.
Let us think carefully about how to fulfil this sacred calling.
Understand What Is at Stake
The spiritual formation of your children is the most important task you will ever undertake as a parent. You can succeed in every other area—provide excellent education, cultivate good manners, develop athletic or artistic abilities—and still fail in what matters most. The soul is eternal. The body is temporary.
Proverbs 22:6 instructs: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” While this is not an absolute guarantee—children have their own wills and can reject what they have been taught—it does establish a pattern. Early instruction shapes the trajectory of life. What is planted in childhood often bears fruit for decades.
The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, reminded him of the foundation laid in his youth: “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy had a godly mother and grandmother who invested in his spiritual formation from his earliest years. That investment produced a faithful servant of Jesus.
Begin Early
Children are capable of understanding far more than we often assume. Before they can read, they can hear. Before they can articulate theology, they can absorb it through stories, songs, and simple explanations.
The Jewish approach to education began in the home from infancy. The Passover liturgy included children asking questions and parents providing answers. The entire household was involved in religious instruction. By the time a Jewish boy reached his bar mitzvah at thirteen, he had been immersed in Scripture for as long as he could remember.
Christian parents should follow this pattern. Read Scripture to your children from their earliest days. Pray with them before they understand what prayer is. Sing hymns that embed theological truth in their memories. Surround them with the things of God so thoroughly that faith seems natural rather than foreign.
Teach Systematically
Random religious instruction produces random religious knowledge. Children need a framework within which to organise what they learn. This is why catechisms have been so valuable throughout church history.
A catechism is simply a series of questions and answers designed to teach doctrine systematically. The format engages children actively—they must answer, not merely listen. The repetition embeds truth in memory. The progression builds understanding step by step.
The Baptist Catechism (also known as Keach’s Catechism after Benjamin Keach) covers the essential doctrines of the Christian faith in a format accessible to children. The first question sets the foundation: “Who is the first and best of beings?” Answer: “God is the first and best of beings.” From this starting point, children learn about God’s nature, His works, humanity’s condition, salvation through Jesus, and the Christian life.
Other catechisms serve similar purposes. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, though Presbyterian in origin, has trained countless children in Reformed doctrine. The New City Catechism is a more recent adaptation designed for contemporary families. Any of these provide structured paths through Christian teaching.
Even if you do not use a formal catechism, teach with a plan. Do not simply address topics as they happen to arise. Work through the major doctrines: Who is God? Who is Jesus? What is sin? How are we saved? What does God require of us? Build a comprehensive foundation rather than leaving gaps.
Teach Conversationally
Moses commanded teaching “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7). This is not classroom instruction. It is life-integrated teaching. Doctrine is woven into the fabric of daily existence.
When something happens that illustrates a biblical truth, point it out. When your child experiences disappointment, talk about God’s sovereignty and providence. When they see injustice, discuss God’s righteousness and coming judgment. When they observe beauty, speak of God as Creator. Every experience becomes an opportunity for theological reflection.
Ask questions rather than simply lecturing. What do you think God is like? Why do you think Jesus had to die? What does it mean to trust God? Draw out their understanding and build upon it. Help them think theologically rather than simply memorising facts.
Tell stories. The Bible is filled with narratives that capture children’s imaginations—David and Goliath, Daniel in the lions’ den, Jesus calming the storm. These stories are not mere entertainment. They teach doctrine in concrete form. David’s victory teaches God’s faithfulness to His people. Daniel’s deliverance teaches God’s power over earthly rulers. Jesus stilling the storm teaches His divine authority over creation.
Model What You Teach
Children learn more from observation than instruction. If you tell them that prayer matters but they never see you pray, they will believe your behaviour over your words. If you claim the Bible is precious but never open it, they will conclude it is not actually important.
Let your children see your own devotion to God. Pray in their presence—not performative prayers for their benefit, but genuine communion with God that they happen to witness. Let them catch you reading Scripture. Talk about what you are learning. Share your struggles and how God is meeting you in them.
Confess your failures. When you sin against your children—when you lose your temper, when you are unfair, when you break a promise—acknowledge it, ask their forgiveness, and model repentance. This teaches them that Christians are not perfect but that we know what to do with our imperfection. We confess. We repent. We trust in grace.
Involve them in your service. Take them when you visit the sick. Let them help prepare meals for those in need. Bring them to church work days. Show them that faith is not merely believed but lived.
Use Resources Wisely
Many excellent resources exist to help parents teach doctrine to children.
For young children, The Ology by Marty Machowski presents systematic theology in a format accessible to primary school age children. The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, while not technically a storybook Bible in the traditional sense, shows how all of Scripture points to Jesus—a wonderful introduction to biblical theology.
For older children and teenagers, the Explore the Bible series from Lifeway provides structured study materials. Wayne Grudem’s Christian Beliefs is a condensed version of his Systematic Theology, accessible for older teens and families to study together.
The Bible itself remains the best resource. A simple approach is to read through Scripture together as a family—a chapter or portion each evening, followed by brief discussion. What did this passage teach us about God? About ourselves? About how we should live? Is there anything we should do differently because of what we read?
Create Rhythms and Rituals
Consistency matters more than intensity. Brief daily instruction embedded in household routine produces more lasting fruit than occasional lengthy sessions.
Family worship is an old practice worth recovering. Set aside a brief time each day—perhaps at mealtimes or before bed—for Scripture reading, discussion, and prayer together. This does not need to be elaborate. Ten minutes can accomplish much over time.
Sabbath observance creates weekly rhythm centred on God. Set the Lord’s Day apart. Attend worship together as a family. Use the day differently than other days—rest, fellowship, family activities that honour God.
The Christian calendar provides annual rhythms. Advent prepares for Christmas with expectation of Jesus’s coming. Lent leads to Easter with reflection on Jesus’s sacrifice and victory. These seasons give structure to teaching about the central events of salvation.
Celebrate spiritual milestones. When a child professes faith, mark the occasion. When they are baptised, commemorate it. When they memorise a significant passage of Scripture, celebrate their achievement. These markers give weight to spiritual growth.
Prepare for Questions and Doubts
As children grow, they will have questions. Some will be innocent curiosity. Some will reflect genuine struggle. How you respond shapes their relationship with faith.
Welcome questions. Never shame a child for wondering or doubting. If you treat questions as dangerous, children learn to suppress them—which does not eliminate doubt but drives it underground where it festers unaddressed.
Answer honestly. If you do not know the answer, say so. Then find out together. Model intellectual humility alongside confident faith. It is possible to hold firm convictions while acknowledging that you do not have all the answers.
Distinguish between essential and secondary matters. The deity of Jesus is non-negotiable. The precise timing of the rapture is not. Help children understand which doctrines are foundational and which allow for disagreement among faithful Christians.
Introduce them to apologetics appropriate to their age. As they encounter challenges to faith—from friends, from school, from media—equip them with responses. Books like Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ (student edition available) or Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace provide accessible introductions to evidence for Christianity.
Partner with the Church
While parents bear primary responsibility for their children’s spiritual formation, the church is a vital partner. Sunday School, youth group, and children’s ministry supplement what happens at home.
Choose a church with sound doctrine and effective children’s ministry. Ensure that what is taught at church aligns with what you teach at home. If there are discrepancies, address them—either by talking with church leadership or finding a church with better alignment.
Involve your children in the life of the congregation. Let them see that faith is not merely a family affair but connects them to a community spanning generations and geography. Introduce them to older saints whose lives demonstrate decades of faithfulness. Help them form friendships with peers who share their faith.
Conclusion
Ultimately, you cannot save your children. That is God’s work. You can faithfully plant and water, but only God gives growth (1 Corinthians 3:6).
This truth should humble us and comfort us. We are humbled because we cannot presume upon results. Children raised in godly homes sometimes reject the faith. The responsibility to choose belongs to them, and they will give account to God.
We are comforted because the outcome does not depend on our performance. We will make mistakes. We will have bad days. We will fail to teach what we should have taught and say things we should not have said. But God is greater than our failures. He can work despite our inadequacies.
Pray continually for your children. Pray for their conversion. Pray for their growth. Pray for their protection from the evil one. Pray that they would love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. And then entrust them to the God who loves them even more than you do.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6