“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link” is a proverb inspired from an 18th-century book by Thomas Reid. 

Ideally, God’s visible church is a well-maintained chain formed by his invisible church—the community of people who serve the Lord and the world with their unique gifts. All too often, there’s one particular link that tends to be weaker than the rest.

In many Christian communities, there are groups of teens who just finished lengthy biblical basics training. They are energetic, confident, and impressionable. Their link lies between the young children and college groups. They stand on the edge of God’s larger kingdom, readying themselves for their adulthood.

It’s at this crucial time the link weakens as their priorities tend to shift from linking up to the church to linking up with the rest of the world. To keep their spiritual link strong means to help them transition their heads to their hands and feet as adults in Christ—to prepare them to be future leaders of his church and God-fearing citizens of the world. Without this, Christ’s enemies everywhere will break through this link easier than others. 

When Jesus sent out his disciples, he said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

Jesus gave his representatives on-the-job training before his ministry on earth was finished. Do we offer the same while our children are still with us?