Dear Parents,

How are you doing? I mean, how are you really doing? If you’re like me, some days are great, some days are not so great, some days are fun, some days are frustrating, some days are filled with supernatural peace and a heightened trust in the Lord. I’m all over the place-- which makes me all the more thankful to get to know and enjoy our God, who is constant and never changes, even in the midst of our ever-changing circumstances.

And that’s my supreme desire for my kids (and yours!)-- that they, too, would come to know and enjoy our God forever. That’s why I’m so passionate about family ministry! But even more than I, God is passionate about family ministry. His heart is that families would worship and enjoy Him together, with you, parents, being the primary pastors of your families. And as a ministry, that’s our heart too.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says,

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

That’s two steps:

1. Love God: In the midst of the craziness of your days, remember to regularly feed your soul by feasting on the Bread of Life-- Jesus (John 6:35). There are lots of ways to do this! Read your Bible. Listen to music. Go outside and look at nature. Watch edifying movies. Connect with other brothers and sisters in Christ-- whatever helps you trust, love, and abide in Him more. You will teach your kids about God through your overflow, so make your own spiritual growth a priority however you can.
   
   
2. Teach your kids: Talk to them about who God is and what He has done using Scripture, your own experiences, movies-- whatever provides you opportunities to highlight His work, character, and plan. Be intentional. Look for teachable moments throughout your day, or create some! We encourage you to regularly set aside time to learn about and worship God together as a family. That can be during a meal, before bed, in the car, on a family walk-- whatever works for your family.

My prayer is that each of us would treasure this call to teach our children “the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done [...] so that they [would] set their hope in God and not forget the works of God” (Psalm 78:4,7). 

The days are long, but the years are short. So let’s spend our time with them wisely. This will be a journey of ups and downs and all-arounds. Sometimes it’ll be sweet and beautiful. Sometimes it’ll be messy. And other times it’ll be downright hard. But take heart! Be encouraged! If it seems like an overwhelming task for you to do on your own, that’s only because IS. We aren’t meant to do this in our own strength. But we need not be intimidated or afraid. Our God is with us. Ultimately, He is the one who will equip each of us to carry out this good work that He has called us to.

But you don’t have to do this alone. We are here with and for you to help you disciple your kids. We aren’t meant to disciple our kids in community, working together as we all point the next generation to the only one who saves-- Jesus. Know that we are praying for your kids every week, but that we are also praying for YOU. We are here to offer resources that might be of assistance to you. We are here to love and teach your children alongside you. We’re all in this together!

***In case you missed it: 

• Click here to watch a quick video by Pastor David for a simple yet powerful method you can use to begin a rhythm of regular family worship in your home, no matter how young your children are. You CAN do this!
• Click here to access the April monthly newsletter for other helpful resources.