10 Reasons to Include Kids in Missions
A year ago, I could easily given reasons why it is important to leave children behind on a mission trip. After spending two months on the mission field with my children, God has completely transformed my ideas. Now I can’t imagine serving the Lord overseas without my children. God opened my eyes to a number of ways that a family mission can be beneficial in the spiritual growth of your family.
1.Children will open doors that you don’t even see
Human wisdom truly is the foolishness of God. We have ideas and often allow our plans to trump God’s perfect plan for our lives. On the mission field, we had our ideas on the best way to meet people; bible studies, picnics, game nights, service projects, etc. The reality set in very quickly, God had different plans. Our children running around the playground, opened the door to countless conversations with the people of Gdansk. There were a number of invitations inside homes, not because the parents wanted to hang out with my wife and I, but because parents wanted our children to play with theirs. God can use little children to draw His children to himself. Sometimes, we just need to get out of the way.
2. Families attract families
Having children drastically changes the dynamics in your home and your interaction outside of the home. My wife and I were blessed with children at a young age. We quickly realized that our childless friends didn’t share our seven o’clock curfew. It is very natural to gravitate to people and groups that are like you. The mission field is no different. We had the opportunity to attend worship service every Sunday in Gdansk. The first two experiences, our two children were the only children present. As the summer went on, we began to see more and more families regularly attending the worship service. By the end of the summer, there were eight to twelve children present during the worship service. Our prayer is that more and more families will gather at Gospel Church in Gdansk to hear how Jesus loves them.
3. Exposure to new culture
“That is weird!” Fortunately, the first time we heard that statement was in the comfort of our apartment in Gdansk. We had just informed our children that we wouldn’t have a car in Poland, we would only ride public transportation. It was not the only time we would have to remind them that “it is different, not weird.” Our God is a creative God. Different people from different areas of the world will live, eat, worship Christ in a different way. Just because we do things one way in America, doesn’t mean it should be the universal way things are done. We can learn so much about our Creator from our brothers and sisters around the world. By the end of the trip, all we heard was, “Hey dad, that’s different isn’t it.” They got the message. New cultures can teach us new ways to do things. New ways to connect with others. New ways to share the Love of Christ with the world.
4. Teach the Body of Christ is not just in your church
Ephesians 2:21 teaches that in Christ, all believers will come together and form one temple in the Lord. It is our responsibility to teach our children about the Body of Christ around the world. The church is not just the people our children see every Wednesday and Sunday morning. Supporting the body of Christ around the world through prayer, missions, or financial support should be present in every gospel family. For our family, there was no better way to teach this truth than introducing our children to Gospel Church in Gdansk. A church that looks different than our home church, but teaches the same salvation by Jesus alone.
5. Show the value of relational ministry
If there was one thing that the Pharisees told the truth about, it was Jesus was a friend of sinners. He understood that relationships were the way to a persons heart. His model can teach our children what true evangelism looks like. Not every person we shared life with this summer, was prepared to make a decision to follow Christ alone. That wasn’t our goal as a family. We realize that it is Christ alone that can save. Our focus was to be obedient and share His love with the world. Our children were able to observe over the two month period, how true friendships formed. In Gdansk, it wasn’t through a huge outreach event. For us, relationships grew through meal times, family dates on the playground, or game nights with the kids. Families that were very guarded in the beginning, began to open up and share their hearts with us. Voicing struggles and prayer requests instead of small talk. Children have an opportunity to see evangelism is so much more than handing out a tract. It is sharing life with someone knowing that the love of Christ will shine through and open doors to share about the hope they have.
6. Instill God’s mission at an early age
We all desire that our children will follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I want my children to know that Christ did come to die on the cross so that they can live forever with him. But even more than that, I want my children to understand his God ordained mission on the earth which is clearly given in Luke 4:18, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED.” We are called to this same mission. To share the gospel with those whom society tramples. To share the hope of salvation to those that are in bondage to sin. To offer a gift of life, through the person of Jesus Christ, when death is deserved. I will never forget a Sunday morning in Gdansk. There was a family wandering around trying to find the location of the church within the mall. Their attempts were unfruitful. My children bolted out of the church house, found that lost family, and brought them into the worship service. My children understood they were lost. They took the necessary steps to go find this family leading them to place of worship. I pray that my children will grow to followers who can recognize when someone is without hope, and can share with them the truth of the gospel of Christ and lead them to our Merciful Savior.
7. They bring joy to the team
Have you ever had a difficult day interrupted by a flying ninja and his crime fighting partner? It is impossible not to smile. On the mission field, there will be difficult days. I will never forget meeting with our team during a tough time, and our children providing the laughter we needed to get through. They bring energy, joy, and smiles that the adults are lacking at times. In the gospel of Mark 10:14 Jesus says “let the children come to me.” Jesus valued little ones. God can work through children. On the field, there will be times of sadness. Your children can be a constant reminder of the grace of God to return your focus to the purpose God has for you.
8. Promotes ongoing missional conversations in the home
There is not a day that goes by that our family doesn’t talk about our time in Poland. In the same way that Israel set up spiritual markers to remind them of God’s work in their lives, Poland serves as a spiritual marker our family can turn to, to remind us how God has moved in our lives. Poland is now a regular conversation topic in our home. We can talk about missionaries that have sacrificed so much to bring the gospel to a foreign land. We share memories from our time together in Gdansk, and excitement as our upcoming trip approaches.
9. Drastically change the way you pray together.
Family devotions are now regular in our home. Every night our family has a chance to sit together and read scripture and talk about the truth found in God’s Word. We have opportunities to pray for our family and friends here in the states, but also lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. Our family experienced first hand how powerful it is to have a body of believers praying for you. We now have the opportunity to pray for our brothers and sisters as they are obedient to God and His mission. Our children have experienced life on the field, and are better equipped to lift up specific requests for our friends in Gdansk.
10. Develop a heart for the nations.
“My Temple will be called a house of prayer for the people of all nations.” Isaiah 56:7 is one of many examples that we see God’s heart for all nations. Jesus loves the people of Gdansk, Poland in the same way He loves the people of Houston, Texas. He desires all to come to Him. Jesus didn’t care where a person was from, what he had done, or where he was going. He loved people. A gospel family desires for children to follow after Christ. Christ loves all nations, give your children an opportunity to fall in love with these same nations.
Michael Holmquist is a husband, father of two, school teacher, and missionary, who leads his family each summer to leave Houston, Texas in order to live the mission together in Gdansk, Poland.
