Many parents do not consider passing on their faith in God to their children to be a sign of how successfully they have raised their family-and that includes some Christian moms and dads.

A recent LifeWay Christian Resources study found that the most common definitions of successful parenting were children having good values and becoming happy adults (25% each), or their finding success in life (22%) and being a good person (19%).

The survey of 1,200 adults with children under 18 at home found only 9% of respondents citing faith in God as a measure of success. And just 24% of parents who attended religious services weekly considered faith in God to be an identifying mark of parental success.

"We are seeing an ever-widening gulf in American believers between private faith and a faith that is passed on," said Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research. "Instead, we too often see an emphasis on guiding children to a social morality and toward an as-yet-undefined 'happy' life."

Source: LifeWay Research