Entrenching Your Kids in a Church Community Helps Them Excel at School

He’s an energetic child, with a strong appetite for learning and social interaction.

He thinks he possesses the attributes of a superhero, while we think he possesses the attributes which will make him a prime candidate for class clown and ringleader infamy.

We love him to bits.

So which will be the better fit? And which school will best represent our personal values as parents?

It’s a question many Australians wrestle with, although for some it’s no question at all. Circumstances or convictions automatically rule one or the other out. For others still, the question of home-schooling arises. Seemingly, some of us are stronger and better equipped than ever after many were forced to “try it on” through the lockdowns of an unimaginable period of human history.

The blessing and burden of choice, weighs heavily on us all. We all want what’s best for our kids, so that they can thrive. While I am not meaningfully connected with the education sector, it appears to be a goldmine of data, analysis, opinion and policy recommendations for social scientists, and education theorists alike.

It’s an area of immense study, and rightfully so, as it determines how well the next generation will be equipped for the challenges of their time. Plus, we all have a vested interested in making decisions which will assist our children to blossom, engage, and prepare best for adult and civic life.

A myriad of factors influence these outcomes: socio-economic background, family upbringing, peer-influences, parental engagement and access to resources, and the like.

I’m not going to pretend to be across all these important areas of study and analysis but, recently, one area made my ears prick up.

A secular case for religious community

I have a fondness for sociology, having studied it at university. I love to keep tabs on interesting books and papers. Unsurprisingly, a great place to follow these conversations can be found in the “New Books in Sociology” podcast.

An interview with Dr Ilana M. Horwitz has her discussing the findings within her recent book God, Grades, and Graduation: Religion’s Surprising Impact on Academic Success.

As the title implies, religious devotion plays a part in education conversations.

“Religious devotion and connection with a local church had positive effects on student grades, across all regions and socio-economic conditions.”

Horwitz comes from a Jewish immigrant background. After moving to America, she was surprised at how religious it remained compared with other Western countries. She sought to study what sort of difference religion makes in an educational context, as it relates to outcomes and attainment.

For this, she thought to study the largest block of religion in the USA which, of course, is Christianity.

Rather than simply studying Evangelicalism or Catholicism as a monolithic group, she drew upon studies which represented a mixture of denominational and ethnic differences. This included not only the largest religious traditions but also smaller (but not insignificant) groups such as Black Protestants, Pentecostalism, Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and more.

They were also spread out geographically, covering students from the Southern States to the Mid-West and East Coast.

What she found was a consistent trend: Religious devotion and connection with a local church had positive effects on student grades.

This consistent trend was across all regions, and socio-economic conditions.

The abider advantage

Horwitz talks about the “Abider Advantage” where belonging in Christian communities, and believing in Christian ideas predisposed students to behave in ways conducive to a school environment.

There were two main benefits which ‘”abiders” enjoyed from their Christian upbringing.

The first is “Social Capital” from attending church services and programs.

Being entrenched in a church community helps students connect with a diverse group of people across generations, race and industry. Not only is this an advantage for developing social skills that make school a natural fit, but it also helps provide students with connections and resources which otherwise wouldn’t be available to them. This is particularly true for people who grow up in poor, working class, and even some middle-class communities where finances can be tight and access to public facilities, positive role-models, and healthy extra-curricular activities are not always available.

But the second is much more specific to a Christian context: “Religious Restraint”. Students who indicated their faith was a large part of their life were more likely to engage in spiritual practices and disciplines beneficial in a learning context. Things such as a regular life of prayer and meditation can help prepare for a disciplined approach to study.

Coming from a philosophical base – where questions of God, suffering, evil, morality, hope, goodness, beauty, gratitude and the like are investigated – can prepare kids for exercises which require contemplation, critical thought and comprehension.

Then there are matters of conscience, where belief in God’s omniscience weaves its way into a Christian’s daily life, such as how God cares about the treatment of others. Other examples in a student’s life include whether elders and teachers are shown respect, how to work hard for the glory of God, and how situations can be avoided so that personal values are not compromised.

All of this to say that Christians are more likely to be “good students” who do their homework, participate in class activities, show teachers respect, and are less likely to get caught up in risky behaviour – parties, drinking, drugs and relationships which might impact their relationship with God (or academic results).

This is not to say that Christians are necessarily more intelligent. Rather, they are more likely to be rule followers and students who more readily embrace the features of our schooling systems.

Diminishing returns?

It doesn’t last forever though, according to Horwitz. The abider advantage peaks in high school.

Those that do move away for tertiary study are confronted with a plethora of changes that can impact whether they stay a Christian.

Newfound independence, increased hours and expectations from part-time employers, and feeling disillusioned/disconnected from local churches, are just as likely to whittle away at faith.

For some, university can have a significant impact upon personal faith but does not appear to be the secularising bogeyman it can be made out to be. And thanks to the influence of Christian campus groups, for example, plenty of people also become Christians at university.

A second abider advantage

According to a Harvard study in 2017, regular religious involvement correlates with an assortment of positive outcomes.

Having a religious community can lead to a longer lifespan (seven years), lower levels of drug and alcohol abuse, better mental health outcomes, stronger social relationships (including more numerous friendships, healthier marriages, and higher social support), increased life satisfaction, a greater sense of meaning in life, lower rates of crime, and higher rates of civic duty.

What this means is don’t simply think about sending your kid to church, but think about sending yourself too!

The abider advantage isn’t merely a phenomenon for academics to ruminate over, but something that can be freely grasped and experienced by anyone.

“Having a religious community can lead to a longer lifespan… better mental health outcomes… stronger social relationships, a greater sense of meaning in life, lower rates of crime, and higher rates of civic duty.”

Jesus himself calls all people to ‘abide in him’ (in John 15). To remain in him. To put down spiritual roots. He talks about it in the context of a vine and its branches, calling himself the “true vine”, where a fruitful life only comes about when we’re intimately connected with him.

It’s a breathtaking section of the Bible, where Jesus laying down of his life for his friends becomes an open offer of friendship with God. A friendship with immense benefits, though the cost warrants consideration.

We all want what’s best for ourselves, and especially for our kids. And we’ll happily sacrifice secondary things to get the things we need for those we love.

Joining a religious community will ask you to sacrifice things for the greater good.

A greater good that flows out to people in need and in turn gives you something you need too. New motives, new desires, new character, new priorities, and new values forged and remade by the one who made everything, and who makes life that extra bit worthwhile.

Maybe being part of such a community will bring that newness to your family.

Maybe your kids’ grades will reflect that.

Maybe they’ll experience the abider advantage well beyond their schooling life. And, maybe, you’ll find something precious that goes well beyond your lifetime too.