The Thursday Update

JUNE 12, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

This Sunday is Father’s Day. For many, this is a chance to celebrate our fathers, whether they are still with us or have passed on, for all the positive contributions they made in our lives (even when they weren’t perfect). For some, this is a challenging time because it may be hard to celebrate our fathers because of their absence or potentially even their abuse.

For all of us, we should do our best to honor our fathers (and mothers, Exodus 20:12) as God commanded. We should also honor fatherhood. After all, it is a role created by God to bring direction and leadership to the family. Fathers are God’s good and gracious provision for the family. We know this is true because God said it’s true (see Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 6:1-4). We also know it is true based on research which affirms God’s Word.

Did you know that children with a father’s presence are healthier, are more secure in their identity and mental health, do better in school, are more likely to succeed as well-adjusted adults, and are much more likely to find faith in Jesus. Listen to this amazing statistic: when a father becomes a Christian, there’s a 93% chance that his children become Christians. That percentage is far, far lower for any other person in the family unit who becomes a Christian. Stunning!

But when a father is absent, children are sicker more frequently (both physically and mentally), are 43% less likely to earn A’s and 33% less likely to earn B’s in school, are more likely to struggle with becoming adults, and are more likely to be imprisoned. Listen to this sad statistic: 85% of all imprisoned youth have an absent father. Staggering!

This is why God created fathers and why we are to honor them. They play such a critical role in God’s plan for the family, for societies, and for the world.

At Lakeshore we will take some time in both services on Sunday to honor fathers and celebrate them. We hope that no matter what your role as a father has been or is, and no matter what your relationship was like with your earthly father, that you’ll be at church on Sunday to thank God the Father for the institution of fatherhood and for fathers. We’ll also continue our series in Philippians, How to Find Joy in Life, by looking at out most important pursuit in life.

Hope to see you Sunday for Father’s Day,
Vince