Why is church the first thing to get "cut"?

Parents: 

We can't say we want our kids around positive role models, that we want them to have a Christian peer group, that we want their influences to be focused on Jesus, and that we want the church family to be important to them - and trade youth group activities for sports, Wed nights for dates and homework, Sunday school for extra sleep, and church for ball tournaments. 

Our lives, as parents, are hard, CRAZY, and over scheduled, but when we use our words to tell our kids that our church family is what's most important and then when things get busy and we get tired church family is the first thing we cut.... believe me, they know. They get the message. 

We as parents are the front line for our kids, but we have to surround our kids with additional Christian influences and role models so they can make meaningful relationships with those people we want mentoring them someday when they "need" someone else to turn to other than us.