A Letter of Gratitude for the Fathers of Our Church
Dear New Life in Christ Church Family,
This Sunday is Father’s Day, and as I think about it, I wanted to thank God for the many faithful fathers—and spiritual fathers—that are part of our church. Whether you are raising children in your home or mentoring other young people, your faithfulness matters. More than that, your presence is powerful.
In today’s larger society, we are learning how important fatherhood is. God has designed fathers to play a unique, irreplaceable role in both the family and the church. And the fruit of that design is seen everywhere.
Recent studies only confirm what Scripture has always taught. Children who are raised by involved, faithful fathers flourish across every area of life. They are:
• More likely to do well in school and avoid behavioral problems.
• Far less likely to struggle with depression or emotional instability.
• Less likely to experience abuse or neglect, and more likely to feel safe and secure.
• Much more likely to avoid early parenthood, delinquency, and incarceration.
• More equipped for healthy relationships, emotional self-control, and long-term resilience.
But our concerns are not just about behavior—it’s about belief. Research has shown that children who have a close relationship with their father are significantly more likely to continue in the faith. That’s a deeply hopeful reminder: the investment you make in your child’s heart, time, and attention is shaping their view of God Himself.
As one Christian writer has said, “Fervent faith cannot compensate for a distant dad.” A man can be a pillar in the church, but if he is emotionally withdrawn or unavailable to his children, that spiritual fruit often fails to take root in the next generation.
And so I want to say this to the fathers in our congregation: Thank you. Thank you for your prayers, your discipline, your laughter, your example, and your faith. Thank you for showing up, for leading your families in love and truth, and for continuing to grow as men of God. You are a gift to this church.
To the spiritual fathers—those who teach, disciple, encourage, and guide others in the faith—your quiet investment bears lasting fruit. You may never fully see what your words and presence mean to a younger believer, but heaven sees. And God is using you to build up the next generation.
To the men who carry sorrow or regret this Father’s Day—whether from personal failure, disappointment, or painful loss—remember this: God’s grace is sufficient. Your story is not finished, and your Father in heaven is kind, patient, and restoring. You are not defined by your past but by your identity in Christ.
To the young men in our church who are not yet fathers: pursue faithfulness now. Let your character be shaped by truth and humility. The habits you build today are already preparing you to be a strong and loving leader tomorrow.
Let us hold fast to the words of Psalm 78:
“He commanded our fathers to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children.”
Fathers, you are doing holy work. I love this example prayer from Martin Luther who shows the holiness of child raising, even in changing diapers.
“Oh God, because I am certain that You created me as a man, and have conceived the child from my body, therefore I am also sure that it pleases You more than anything… if I do what is natural: take care of the child, wash its diapers, attend to it or its mother. ... Neither frost nor heat, toil nor work, shall bother me, for I am certain that it is thus well pleasing to You.”
May God strengthen you to lead your families with grace and conviction, and may our church be a place where generations rise up to call you blessed.
Faithfully Yours,
Pastor Sean