A spiritual growth program for kids is steadily gaining popularity in North America, and even faster in Australia and parts of Europe.

The Kids In Discipleship program, launched in 2002, is taking hold in many Adventist churches and is growing rates of youth attendance.

“It can be awkward for parents to be spiritual mentors,” said Don MacLafferty, founder of Kids In Discipleship. “Somehow we’re still thinking our school systems and Sabbath School teachers are enough, but we need to call the parents back to be the main spiritual mentors to complement our church structure.”

MacLafferty, a pastor at the Collegedale Adventist Church in Tennessee, said he founded the program to help aid parents in mentoring their children spiritually. He said he hopes to combat the trend of Adventists leaving the church after their teenage years. Some studies have suggested the rate is 40 to 50 percent in North America and as high as 80 percent in Europe, he said.

The program begins with a 12-week study on equipping parents grow as disciples and as disciple-makers of their children. The parents and other mentors then lead their children through a 32-week Bible study with other families.

MacLafferty said the small-group ministry is an opportunity for parents to mentor their children while figuring out what works, and sometimes, what doesn’t work in leading their children spiritually. 

One segment of the program, called My World, invites the parents and children to separate from the rest of the group and together learn how a lesson can apply to the child’s daily life.

“Some people were never mentored themselves,” said MacLafferty. “I think many families don’t have worship anymore because they’re so busy.”

Typically a church will send a team to train with MacLafferty’s team in Tennessee before training mentors at their local church.

Sheri Loveland, a member of the Kelso-Longview Adventist Church in Kelso, Washington, United States, said she felt empowered after participating in the program. “Knowing I am one of the keys to changing my own children’s lives and lead them to Jesus is awesome,” she said.

Last month, MacLafferty and his team took the ministry to Australia for the first time, drawing 70 participants from 16 churches. Next year the ministry will launch in the Philippines.

Kids In Discipleship is also growing rapidly in Europe where such a program is more urgently needed, MacLafferty said.

Anne-May Wollan, Children’s Ministries director for the Adventist Church’s Trans-European region, said she frequently encounters parents who are skeptical of the program at first. “But at the end of the three-day training God has worked wonders on their hearts,” Wollan said.

For a schedule of upcoming training dates and other information, see the Web site www.kidsindiscipleship.org.