“Dear Lord, thank you for this food and for a good day today. Please help Daddy get home without any traffic and make my brother’s owie feel better. Also, please keep the kids in Mongolia safe, and help more of them hear about Jesus. Giving them a Bible to read would be good, too. Amen.”
I smiled at my 7 year old and her older brother said “good job,” and then the chaos of dinner ensued with the chatter, requests, and constant water refills. It was good. My mom heart swelled with joy at what I heard: the cultivation of mission-minded children!
Raising mission-minded children is something that has come to be very important to my husband and I in our parenting. We know that a Great Commission perspective in life is essential for followers of Christ. Whether their mission field ends up being in the home, the workplace, or across the world, we believe that nurturing a mission-minded perspective early on is a priority!
So, how do you raise mission-minded children? There are likely several ways, but this are the things we are doing in our home.
Read Missionary Biographies. We have an entire library of books, videos, and other resources all about past and current missionaries that we are enjoying as a family. Our kids know all about Amy Carmichael, Jim Elliot, George Muller, and more. You’d be surprised how much kids will learn and love about missionary stories! It gives them a peek into the lives of missionaries and the people they serve.
Support Missionaries in Prayer and Finances. Find a missionary family through your church or denomination that you can support by praying for them regularly and/or contributing financially. Your church may even have a short term mission opportunity you can help or participate in as a family!
Encourage Them to Be On Mission NOW. We all need to take a step back and realize that we are on mission right now, right where we are. As moms, we are reaching our children, our neighbors, and our hometown for Christ. The same is true for our children! When they understand that the mission field is here and now, everything changes and you will feel a sense of urgency and purpose as a family!
Be Encouraged and Equipped. One of my favorite resources is Harvest Ministries and Mission-Minded Families by John and Ann Dunagan. We first heard them at a local homeschool conference and were blown away by how encouraging and informative they were. They helped me to see our parenting as a mission field, and our family as a potentially powerful tool used by God to reach others. As the Dunagans say, “Missions is not just for missionaries; God’s call is for all.”
Resources for Raising Mission-Minded Children
Since we first discovered them, Mission-Minded Families has further developed an amazing set of resources for parents that will bless your family tremendously. I used to think that most of these resources were for moms herding their children across the African plains or something – families actually out on mission trips. But I’ve come to realize that we really ARE all on mission, and Mission-Minded Families has just the tools to support you in that effort.
Here are just a few of the resources offered at for raising mission-minded children:
Book The Whole World Needs Jesus is a new children’s book all about spreading the gospel message to the nations. We own this book and LOVE it. The writing is engaging and memorable, the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and the kids really enjoy it, asking for it often. Right now it has a permanent spot in our morning time basket!
Women’s eCourse (FREE) – It’s a pre-conference training but anybody can take it, even if you’re not attending the conference. It includes a Life-Planning Guide for 2017 and step-by-step training on “Releasing your P.A.S.S.I.O.N. for God’s Great Commission.” There are about 35 workbook pages of downloads and assessment tests plus several training videos.
3-D Kids Course (FREE – I can’t wait to check this one out for my kids ) – This is an online mission-minded training course for Christian kids (about ages 6-12) who are “serious” about serving God. 3-D stands for “Daring Doing Disciples.”
More Great Mission-Minded Books
The Mission-Minded Child: Raising the Next Generation to Fulfill God’s Purpose
The Mission-Minded Family: Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny
The Scarlet Cord: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus
So Much More – Including a homeschool curriculum, video mentoring, prayer guide, and more!
Truly, Mission-Minded Families is a wealth of amazing encouragement and resources that will bless your home!
GIVEAWAY! (4 Winners and over $60 in Prizes!)
As a part of the Christ-Centered Home Giveaway series, John and Ann Dunagan are generously giving away three of their new children’s book, The Whole World Needs Jesus, and a 3-pack of their mission-minded books (The Mission-Minded Child, The Mission-Minded Family, and The Scarlet Cord)!
Giveaway ends 2/7/17 at 11:59PM PST. Winner will be notified via email and has 48 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen. U.S. only.
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Tauna
I'm Tauna, owner of Proverbial Homemaker! This is me: Jesus follower, wife, mom, [domestically challenged] homemaker, homeschooler, and writer. Proverbial Homemaker exists to bring you encouragement and tools for the journey. Let us pursue God's call on our lives (no matter the learning curve) and rely on Him to equip us for the task!
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