To the ends of the earth:
I am writing this on my hotel bed in Nairobi, Kenya wrapping up a week long trip spent equipping men from 7 different countries to go back and share the gospel with teenagers in places like Nepal, Rwanda, the Philippines, and more.
I know it’s a longer post so if you want the takeaways you can skim to find the bullet points but I challenge you to read the whole thing and engage with your heart not just your mind.
I’ve been on several missions trips since I have been a father. Every one of them has intensified my desire to instill in our family that God is working in all parts of the world. So how do you instill this mindset into your family?
God is a God of the nations. His heart aches for all tribes, peoples, nations and languages to come to Him.
“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
World missions is not just for those who plan to go and serve overseas but for everyday believers who may never leave the country. The reason is that you still play a part in taking the Gospel all over the world and so does your family. You can pray. You can send. You can support. You can partner. Or maybe one day you or one of your children will be called to go!
So here are 5 practical takeaways to introduce and excite your children about what God is doing all around the world:
- Read biographies about missionaries as a family. As a part of our bedtime routine we read. Often when we are not reading a children’s Bible we are reading about great men and women of the faith like Hudson Taylor, Samuel Morris or Amy Carmichael. Reading about the lives of these missionaries will broaden your horizons about what people did out of obedience to God and love for those who are lost.
- Pray for the persecuted Church. Prayer is the #1 way to engage your heart in something. Not only are your kids being exposed to the realities of persecution but they will also have ownership in it! You never know how your prayers will be answered. Here are two great resources to start. Voice of the Martyrs or Open Doors Ministries provides an app that gives daily updates for specific ways to pray for Christians in hostile areas around the world.
- Go to a missions conference. Whether it’s at your church or at another one, find when their missions conference is going on and take your family. Hear the testimonies from those serving overseas. See what it’s like to live in another country.
- Support a missionary. As a family begin supporting a missionary through prayer and finances. Begin a relationship with them. Do a fundraiser as a family for specific needs that they have. Pray for their ministry. Host them when they come to the states. The goal is to not just talk about it but live it.
- Plan a short-term missions trip. My in-laws did a great job in taking my wife and her siblings on missions trips to places like Grenada and Mexico. Now before you throw the idea out because of something like cost or concerns about safety I want to say this…I would be lying if I told you it was the cheapest and safest way to expose your family to overseas missions. It can be dangerous and costly, but part of exposing your children to world missions is showing them that it is…dangerous and costly. There are no neat, safe, and free ways to take the Gospel somewhere. Christianity is not easy. This week I heard countless testimonies of Christians who have suffered greatly in order to share Jesus in the toughest places in the Muslim world. But the value of taking your family on a trip could be priceless. It will unite, convict, challenge, encourage, and inspire you all. So start small, go on a trip through a church and count the cost.
God wants to use you in some way to take the Gospel all over the world. Missions is not for some but for all. How will we as fathers and leaders of our homes lift our children’s eyes to a plan much bigger than themselves? How will we show them the magnitude of Jesus’ heart for people? How will we encourage them to engage in this mission?