Are churches replacing parental influence in the discipleship of children?

Jason Dohm notes the prevalent trend of churches focusing extensively on age-segregated discipleship programs for children. He explains that this practice inadvertently gives the illusion that the church can replicate or replace the unique influence that parents have over their children. There's a clear delineation of roles and the responsibility of discipleship primarily rests with parents.

He states that parents, by virtue of their God-given role and the sheer amount of time they spend with their children, have an influence that neither educational institutions nor churches can replicate. Even with the best intentions, these institutions simply cannot match the parental influence because of 'simple math' - the time and emotional investment that parents have in their children's lives.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NKJV): "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

It's not right for churches to center many, many programs around the discipleship of children, particularly in an age-segregated way. And the reason that, or a primary reason why that's not a good idea, is it gives the illusion that the church has the ability to have the influence that has actually been given to parents. And even if the church wanted to, the church couldn't. Well, why not? Simple math.

Parents have the hours. Parents have the God-given influence that nobody, even well-meaning people in other institutions, educational institutions can't take the place of parents because of simple math and neither can churches.