I recently read a blog by Annie Holmquist entitled “Easy as a Sunday Morning.”
She cites a study by Dr. Pat Fagan that revealed that children performed better in school if they came from intact families. And they performed even better when that intact family regularly attended church.
Pat Fagan, a clinical therapist, notes, “The impact of religious worship is massive and powerful right throughout education. And it is a neglected aspect of education research. It is a scandal in the social sciences that this data is not made known.”
Annie Holmquist dug into the research. It revealed that of the students who received mostly “A” s in school, 16% came from non-intact families that never attended church, 19% from intact families that never attended church, 16% came from non-intact families that attended church weekly, and 32% came from families that were both intact and attended church weekly.
The secret sauce then for children to excel in school is for families to remain intact and attend church weekly.
The secular world does not want you to know it.
It is too traditional.
Too conventional.
But perhaps it is why societies that embrace these two paths are so successful—and those that don’t are not.
Clearly, an emotionally healthy, intact family provides security for children. This security is a launch pad to success.
But what is also clear is that God designed us to be fueled by His love.
Jesus tells us, “I am the vine: you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit: apart from me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NIV)
This is true for adults. And it is true for children.
God’s love fuels our lives. We were meant to live lives devoted to and in obedience to him. Our regular church attendance reminds us of this—helping us see through the world’s distractions.
Work on keeping your family together.
Take your kids to church weekly.
The research shows it doubles their chance of success in school.
It increases the odds that they will be emotionally and spiritually healthy adults.
And society thrives.