helping everyday disciples live on mission

Discipling the Next Generation of Disciple-Makers

I read an inspiring story in a recent newsletter from our workers in Thailand, Jeremy and Adrienne Penner. They have three children: a five-year-old daughter, Elya; a three-year-old daughter, Jaelyn; and a one-year-old son, Caleb. As they are raising their young children, they are watching as their eldest daughter is becoming quite the little evangelist. 

During their Christmas holidays, in addition to spending a lot of quality time together, the Penner family also participated in several Christmas outreaches, and Elya was very impacted. In their newsletter, Jeremy described the following scene:
 

While Elya was listening to one of the pastors share the Gospel, she excitedly asked Adrienne to translate for her. Hearing him tell of how God had changed his life and then inviting people to experience that same joy and freedom, Elya was thrilled! She paid close attention while he invited people to follow him in prayer, inviting Jesus into their lives.

Jeremy went on to explain how, a few days later, when Elya came home from her first day back at school, she was very excited about something. “My friend has Jesus in her heart now!” she told her parents. “I told her about Jesus and how much he loves us, and how if you ask him to come live in your heart he will! Then I asked her if she wanted to pray with me and she did. So I did just like the Pastor did, I told her to pray after me, and I helped her invite Jesus into her heart!”
 
Isn’t it amazing to watch children learn and grow in their faith, and to exercise their God-given gifts even at a young age?! As parents, we expose our children to mission in our daily lives as we take opportunities to serve others and model Christlikeness. Are we doing the same for those we are mentoring and discipling?

Pray

Ask God to use you in discipling the next generation of believers to embrace mission and to make the most of every opportunity to share Jesus with others.