With Father’s Day on the horizon here in America, I want to give you a report on the importance of godly fathers and help you train the men in your church or mission field to make their mark on the next generation as good dads.

In this unprecedented time when Gallup says more than half of all Americans rarely go to church, we’re looking for reasons why a once Christian nation has become so cold toward godly things.

One reason certainly seems to be the destruction of the nuclear family and a shortage of fathers who reside with their children.

• The nonprofit family-building charity Communio teamed up with The Heritage Foundation in an extensive study on faith and relationships and found evidence to suggest the collapse of marriage and the decline of resident fatherhood are likely explanations for the increase in “religious non-affiliation” in the USA.

Communio Founder JP DeGance went so far as to say a married dad is the “missing ingredient” as to why people are dropping out of church. Furthermore, a statistic that showed adults who have a close relationship with their fathers are far more likely to have the same faith as their parents.

Fathers are a key to family stability and, to some extent, to the eternal destiny of their children. It’s important that each father in your congregation or mission field is equipped to be that force for good that God intends him to be.

And, if you, yourself, are a father: You also need to give special consideration to the needs of your own children — “preacher’s kids” have the spotlight on them, and the pressures can be immense. Are you there for your sons and daughters, to let them know of your love and admiration for them no matter what?

Raising up your own kids in the way they should go is Job #1 for you. When you’re getting that right, you’re able to turn to other fathers and help them get it right, too.

As you honor dads in your ministry on Father’s Day this month, consider ways you can strengthen dads and build them up. During June, you may want to:

• Start a Bible study for fathers based on a book you can all read through together and discuss.
• Schedule weekly prayer meetings for dads and granddads. Older fathers can pray with and for younger men, and you can provide a devotional that instructs and encourages them.
• Plan a sermon or two on the importance of fathers, focusing on how they can follow our Heavenly Father’s example of strength, love, and sacrifice.
• Offer a movie night for dads — find an action or adventure movie that’s suitable to watch in church, pop some popcorn or order some pizzas, and ice some sodas. Dads have a lot of responsibilities, and sometimes a night out with the guys can be a real blessing.

One more thing to keep in mind:

• Some children in your congregation may not have dads who live at home or attend church with them, and some moms may be single parents. Be sure to remember, encourage, and provide practical help to single moms and fatherless kids, too. The Bible promises, “If my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me in” (Psalm 27:10). God is a Father to us all.

I hope this insight has given you the incentive and inspiration for building godly dads and thriving families. Remember you can always find more resources at the City Harvest Network website.

Thank you for being a partner in ministry! I believe and have faith that God will do great things through you and your dedication to Him.

Yours for the Harvest,


Dr. Rod Parsley

Founder & General Overseer