Everyone is trying to find their place in the world – our co-workers, neighbors, family members, especially our youth. How can we help them? We help them best by connecting them to a bigger and better story
There is no bigger or better story than what God wants to do in and through His Church. By
leading them to become engaged in the local church, you are inviting them into the biggest and best story of influencing and bringing trustworthy hope to the world.
If you were to ask Jesus-following parents which priorities matter most when it comes to their kids, their responses would fall into three major categories: smarter decisions, stronger relationships, deeper faith. When a young man asked Jesus what was most important, He narrowed it down to one thing that is at the heart of all three categories: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27 NIV).
Every young person – actually, every person – wants to be amazed, inspired, and moved. They are hearing stories. Someone is telling your daughter a story, hoping to eventually win her heart. Someone is telling your son a story, trying to capture his imagination. Almost always, whoever has the bigger and better story wins the heart, and ultimately they have greater influence.
Many parents don’t understand why they lack the influence they would like and need in their children’s lives. One of the main reasons is you are not casting and inviting your children into a bigger and better story than the people around them.
Here’s the truth: “The way your child loves God affects everything else in their life.” Tapping into that truth is wisdom. One of the ways you can begin to cast a vision of a bigger and better story is by becoming engaged in what is happening throughout NewPointe. In the life of the church, there are so many opportunities to serve together and then have conversations about it:
Community Impact Day, July 27 – Sign up and cast a vision of a bigger story by helping other people. Let them experience the thrill of being used by God.
Mission Trips – Help them go on a trip with Eight Days of Hope. Go to serve for a week in another country.
I promise you their lives will never be the same. The experience will AMAZE, INSPIRE, and literally MOVE them. This will lead them to relate to God in a way that affects how they relate to others and themselves. When you lead kids to follow Jesus, you define authentic faith in terms of a relationship.
To help our kids learn to love God, we need to recognize that God created them to respond to Him. They are equipped with three entry points that help us. They are all born with a sense of wonder, a desire for discovery, and a passion to feel and do. WONDER affects a kid’s thinking and imagination about God’s love. DISCOVERY affects a kid’s emotional and moral response to God’s love. PASSION affects a kid’s relationships to reflect God’s love. Ask God for wisdom to engage through these avenues, prioritizing what we say – teaching our kids that everything we do in life comes back to how we love God and others.
If you want kids or teenagers to walk away from your home and your church one day and remember what’s most important, you need to realize it will not accidentally happen. You must lead them strategically to that end, staying focused on developing a relationship with Jesus and what He says is important.
By doing this, they will develop a Christ-centered worldview, which will lead them to a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus – a bigger and better story than anyone else can cast.
I highly recommend planning a mission trip for you and your children at some point. It will hit all the points your child is looking for and the things God will use for their future, and will enable them to see that what they do makes a difference in the world. Going on a mission trip can offer a wealth of benefits, impacting both the lives of those you serve and your own personal and spiritual growth.
Benefits to the Communities Served
Meeting Tangible Needs: Hands-on assistance to communities in need, addressing immediate needs such as building homes, providing medical care, offering educational programs, and assisting with disaster relief.
Empowerment and Support: Help empower local communities by providing critical support and resources to local ministries, fostering a sense of ownership and capability.
Encouragement and Momentum: Provide encouragement and momentum for long-term ministries and local believers, giving them a renewed sense of purpose and capacity.
Financial Support: Stimulate local economies through the purchase of local goods and services,
Sharing the Gospel: Share the gospel message, introducing individuals to Christ and His way.
Benefits to Mission-Trip Participants
Spiritual Growth: Provides opportunities for deep spiritual growth, allowing participants to step out of their comfort zones, strengthen their faith through service, and gain a deeper understanding of God's work in the world.
Personal Development: Engaging with new cultures and challenges can lead to personal growth, fostering qualities like resilience, empathy, and leadership skills.
Increased Empathy and Understanding: Witnessing the struggles of others can deepen understanding and empathy for people from diverse backgrounds.
Broadened Worldview: Exposure to different ways of life can help gain better understanding of the world and your place in it.
Development of Leadership Skills: Working in a team environment can help you develop valuable leadership skills.
New Relationships: Connecting with people from different backgrounds can build meaningful relationships with local community members and fellow volunteers.
Clarifying Your Calling and Living Out Your Faith: This experience can help you discern your calling and purpose in life, actively connecting faith with action and seeing tangible results.
Think about it. Pray about it. Do something. Summer is the growing season.