Marian Tong
“Please Mind the Gap!”: An Investigation of Chinese Parental Faith Transmission and Its Influences on the Spiritual Formation of Preteen Girls
ABSTRACT
This study examines faith transmission among Chinese Christian parents of preteen
daughters (ages 10–12) in Greater Vancouver, exploring how they navigate spiritual formation
within bicultural family contexts. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research
investigates the lived experiences of thirty-one families, including forty parents, focusing on
faith integration, parent-child communication, and the challenges of guiding children’s spiritual
development.
Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Key findings highlight parents' reliance on prayer, scripture
engagement, and parental modeling as primary faith transmission methods, though many
struggle with consistency due to time constraints, developmental shifts, and a lack of resources.
Parents also identified cultural tensions, such as balancing Chinese familial expectations with
Western individualism and addressing contemporary issues like technology use and gender
identity.
The study further reveals a gap between church programming and parental needs, with
participants expressing a strong desire for church-family partnerships, intergenerational
mentorship, and practical tools for faith formation at home. Additionally, while some parents
actively engage in structured spiritual practices, others rely on Christian schools and church programs to supplement faith education, highlighting the need for intentional parental
involvement.
These findings emphasize the necessity of culturally relevant faith formation strategies
that integrate biblical teaching, relational engagement, and adaptive parenting approaches. The
study offers practical recommendations for churches and families to collaboratively strengthen
intergenerational faith transmission, ensuring that children develop a resilient, lived-out faith
within their unique cultural and social contexts.
ABOUT MARIAN TONG
Marian Tong is a ministry leader and registered social worker with a heart for nurturing faith within families and empowering intergenerational discipleship in the Chinese church context. She has over ten years of experience serving in both multicultural and Chinese church settings, where she has built family ministries that support parents, engage youth, and strengthen parent-child relationships rooted in faith.
Marian holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Social Work from The University of Hong Kong. She is a Registered Social Worker in British Columbia and has worked with diverse populations in both clinical and church-based settings. Her theological training includes a Master of Arts in Christian Studies and ongoing Doctor of Ministry studies at ACTS Seminaries, equipping her to bridge professional practice with theological insight.
Her ministry involvement includes teaching, discipleship, curriculum design, intergenerational worship planning, and mentoring both parents and youth. Marian is especially passionate about building bridges between the church and the wider community, and fostering deeper connections across generations. She also leads creative initiatives that integrate faith formation with life skills and community service, especially among preteens and young girls.
She is married and the proud mother of a teenage daughter, who continues to inspire her journey of faith, family, and ministry.