In the day to day, our desire is to make the Gospel known in our home. Our children are two, four and seven years old. They keep us busy 24/7!
We realize we only have a short amount of time to disciple them before they fly from our nest. From birth to high school graduation, we have 936 weeks with our children under our roof. Thus, engaging our children with the Gospel message must take place beyond Sundays and Wednesdays.
This doesn’t mean we need to add another program or activity in our busy schedules. By adopting the model presented Deuteronomy 11, we can teach our children throughout the day that God made them, God loves them and we get to tell others about Him.
As a family, we try to be intentional about implementing ways for our children to experience the love of Christ and be involved in the mission of the church. No matter the season of life you are in, here are several ideas you can implement with your children or grandchildren:
1. Take a nature walk. Ask your children to point out God’s creation. Once they are done listing all they see and hear, remind them God made them as well! Read Psalm 139 and share how we are fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator.
2. Love your neighbor. Serving others draws us closer to the heart of God. Make cookies with your children and take them to a neighbor, or involve the whole family to help with a neighbor’s yardwork. There is an extra twinkle in my children’s eyes after they have served others alongside us.
3. Color the State Missions Activity Book. This month, we are emphasizing missions in our state. Through the Edna McMillan State Missions Offering, Oklahoma Baptists sacrificially give to provide opportunities for needs to be met and the Gospel to be heard. Download and print the “Mission: Oklahoma Activity Book” at StateMissionsOK.org. Teach your children about the various activities and ministries of Oklahoma Baptists through coloring pages and activity sheets.
4. Try a new restaurant. Whether your family enjoys cuisines like Mexican, Chinese or Italian, take the opportunity to share about various people groups around the world. Point out décor in the restaurant that is specific to the culture. As you bless the food, pray God will send missionaries to share Jesus with specific countries around the world. Perhaps God may use a simple family dinner to develop a young heart for the lost.
5. Earn money to give to missions. Find an activity or project your child enjoys doing and help them brainstorm ways they can earn money to give to missions. You could even set goals by creating a missions jar for them to fill. This month, we have encouraged our children to set a goal to earn a dollar for each of our 41 Oklahoma Baptist associations and give it to the State Missions Offering.
Deut. 11:18-19 says “Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Perhaps being intentional about little conversations on the way to school or prayer over the dinner table may ignite a passion inside of our children that leads them to share the love of Christ with others!
