As an independent church pastor, I have been following the division of Christianity for many years, 1956-now. The mainline is just another name for liberalism and it is astonishing that the media, other types of Christians, and seminaries would still not see that liberal Christianity is an oxymoron. To take the Christ out of Christianity is to have 'idianity.' There are more kids going to conservative, pentecostal, out of the mainstream churches now because like Calvery Chapel or the Vineyards or Hosanna types, there is excitement for Jesus, teaching which builds character, uses application, and discipline plus allows a personal relationship with the Creator God Saviour of the Universe to grow . Mainline parents or grandparents need their prayer not the other way round. The burden of the pastors in those denominations ( which are hemoraghing nearly 50,000 members a year)is to decide whether their intellectual political correctness is more important than the Biblical terminology of being born again and serving the Lord in the life of the Spirit,or to continue to lead their flocks down the path of Hell.
We go to a small Vineyard church. The funny thing is that my kids (7, 7, 9) act the way I did when I was growing up in a conservative Methodist church.
My kids can't stand listening to worship (contemporary music). If they have to listen to the minister talk, they really can't stand it.
The Sunday School at our church is very much like it was when I was young. They memorize Bible versus, make a craft, have a Bible lesson, and have prayer time. The older kids also discuss things concerning them like how to handle bullying, drugs, etc.
My kid all love their Sunday School classes. My 9 year old is really getting a lot out of church these days. He notices a real difference between the kids at church and the non-Christian kids at public school. He's routinely praying for kids that mis-treat him or that he thinks are having troubles.
I actually picked the church based on the members and the message that the pastor was giving. I like traditonal style of church services, but the churches that I visited that had this style were way too liberal in their messages. One Presbyterian church was allowing a lesbian minister preach at their church.
I'll take contemporary music and conservative Bible based message any day over traditional service with liberal non-Biblical teaching.