It’s no secret that the millennial generation (those born between 1980-2000) is not as religious as the generations before it. According to Pew Research, 36 percent of millennials are unaffiliated with religion and 17 percent do not believe in God at all.

Perhaps you have raised, or are raising, a millennial who falls in this camp and you are worried about him or her. Or perhaps your child is younger and you are worried his generation will be even less religious.

Regardless of where your child falls on the religious spectrum, I do believe teaching your child to have faith in God is important for many different reasons. Having faith in God affects your child’s self-esteem, relationships, and a chance for success in life. And, I don’t think these statistics about millennials should make us hopeless. Parents, you hold a lot of power in your child’s life—the power to give her faith in God or make her want to walk away from God. If you want to make sure you prevent the latter from happening, consider the following approaches when talking to your child—millennial or not—about God.

Practice what you preach.

In his book, Abandoned Faith: Why Millennials Are Walking…