December 2015

and I get to help build an excellent
Parent Ministry.
So what brought you two
together to work on the book
Pass It On?
Jim is one of my heroes. He
came to speak at my church
when I was a minister. He was
helping us launch the Rites of
Passage Experiences that we
discuss in the book, to the parents
in our church. The night
before at dinner, I explained to
him the Rites of Passage. Little
did I know that he had done some
writing on the subject during his
PhD years. He was already
thinking of creating a resource
on the subject, and suggested
that this should be for more than
just one church. After developing
a friendship, we decided
to write the book. Jim lent his
reputation to this book, and I’m
incredibly grateful for that.
“Kids are leaving the church in
droves right out of high school
yet studies tell us that there is
a much greater chance of kids
staying in church if there are
faith conversations in the home.
I am constantly looking for the
most effective ways to help
families be energized spiritually.
I met Jeremy at his church
near Nashville and he had been
developing “rites of passage”
experiences. The more I saw
what he was doing and the more
I got to know him, the more I
liked him and admired his ministry.
It has been a dream partnership
of putting together practical
rites of passage experiences for
families and watching them have
incredible experiences with each
other.” Co-Author, Jim Burns
What is the purpose you are
trying to accomplish through
your book Pass It On?
Our biggest motivation is to
attack the fear that parents
sometimes face in leading their
child spiritually. It can be overwhelming
when you understand
that as a parent you are the
greatest spiritual influence in
your child’s life. Some parents
get paralyzed by fear and do
nothing. We try to help give parents
an idea of something they
can do to begin leading their
child spiritually. This helps them
“whet their appetite” for spiritual
leadership, and gives them the
encouragement to engage their
child spiritually.
For the sake of argument,
kids go to school to learn;
don’t they go to church then
to get their spiritual experiences?
Why is this the parent’s
responsibility?
You can’t outsource the spiritual
development of your child. I
sometimes wish it was that easy.
If I want my kid to be a better student,
I hire a tutor. If I want my
kid to be a better athlete, I hire
a coach. So shouldn’t it be true
that if I want my child to grow
spiritually, I can just send them
to church? Well, that’s not how
God set it up. He meant for faith
to be passed down generationally
from parents to their children.
Who is the target audience for
this book: new parents, parents
with elementary or junior
high kids?
What I love most about this book
is that it’s for all parents. There
is a rite of passage for each year
from Kindergarten to 12th grade
that parents can lead their child
through.
When I hear the phrase “Rites
of Passage” I think of the stereotypical
Roman Spartan
idea of taking a teenager out
into the wilderness and letting
him fend for himself and if he
comes back he will be a man.
I’m assuming that’s not what