As Christian parents, we know God calls us to be witnesses for Jesus wherever we live, work, and play. We also know God calls us to the privilege of discipling our children and pointing them to Jesus. Yet how can we instill the spiritual discipline of evangelism in our kids’ lives, so they develop a burden for the lost? Here are some practical ways to practice evangelism as a family that have been helpful for my wife, me, and our three kids under seven.
Cultivating a Passion for God
Before establishing a rhythm of evangelism in our families, we should start with a passion for God. We cannot and will not share the gospel regularly with others if we are not first overwhelmed and captivated by the love God has shown us in Christ. It is our love and passion for God and for people made in his image that will fuel our evangelistic efforts. Hence, we need to teach our kids diligently the truths of Scripture through Bible reading, memorization, catechisms, and worldview conversations. We want them to know the greatness of our Triune God and want to share his majesty with others.
This includes giving our children a clear understanding of the gospel. We should teach them to preach it to themselves daily so they can preach it to others. As Jesus said, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34). So first, model for your kids a passion for God. Ask the Spirit to fill them with a holy zeal for his glory so their love for God naturally flows in their conversations and actions with others.
Cultivating a Passion for the Nations
Once our kids know God and understand how lavishly he pours his love out on them in Christ, we should foster in them a love for the nations. Here are a few ways you can help children develop a burden for the lost and a love for the nations.
First, read and teach passages of Scripture that highlight God’s love for the nations and his desire for the salvation of the lost (Gen. 12:3; Psalm 67; Isa. 49; John 3:16; Luke 15; Rev. 7:9-10; Rom.15:9-12; 2 Pet. 2:9; Ezek. 18:23; 33:11; 1 Tim. 2:3-4; Matt. 28:19-20). If our kids love God and want to be conformed to his image, seeing his love for the lost nations will also prompt them to be burdened for the lost and to reach them for God’s glory.
Second, at mealtimes and during family devotionals, share the names of lost friends and family members you can pray for. Imitate for your children what intercessory prayer looks like for unbelievers. Teach them to pray that God would change their hearts (Ezek. 35:26), open their eyes (Acts 26:17-18), hate their sin (Prov. 6:16-19), free them from sin (John 8:36), and transform them by the gospel (2 Cor. 5:17).
Third, use the alphabet (or another device for older children or teenagers are older) to spark specific prayers for the nations. Using resources like Pray for World or Joshua Project, find a country that begins with A and pray through some of the requests listed for the nations living there (or for a people group that starts with that letter). You can also pray for the persecuted church using resources from Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs.
Fourth, consider going on a domestic or overseas trip that involves serving local missionaries, ministering to the community’s physical needs, and proclaiming the gospel to meet their spiritual needs. Depending on where you live, these can be day trips, weekend trips, or weeklong trips. Also, you could be strategic in choosing a vacation spot where one of your church plants or missionaries serves. Use some of your vacation time to be on mission and partner with them.
Cultivating a Passion for our Neighbors
When considering how to practice evangelism as a family, we can’t just tell our kids that missions and evangelism are only about going overseas. We must also teach them that it means going next door to reach our neighbors. We can do this by inviting our neighbors over for meals, taking neighborhood prayer walks together, writing them cards, and bringing them gifts.
One of the most powerful methods of evangelism is sharing meals regularly with our neighbors. It communicates that we love them and want to build a relationship. As Jesus taught, the world will know that we are his disciples when we love one another (John 13:34). This will also allow us to continue our daily family rhythms at the table of prayer and Scripture reading. These create natural opportunities to share the gospel with our neighbors.
Caught, not Taught
Lastly, like most other things we teach our kids, evangelism is more caught than taught. Therefore, if we want our kids to have a passion for evangelism, we must live it before them each day. They should hear the fervency of our prayers, see the love in our actions, and witness the sacrifice of our time and finances for our lost friends and family members. Naturally, our kids will love and be passionate about whatever we are passionate about. Hence, if they see our passion for God’s glory to be known among our neighbors and all nations, they will catch the flame of the gospel, a deep fire within us that we cannot contain but must let out (Jer. 20:9).
What We Have to Share
In closing, take a few moments to reflect on the glorious gospel once more. Ask the Spirit to fan the flame of God’s glory in your own heart. God is the holy and righteous creator of the universe. Even though he needed nothing, he freely chose to make us in his image for a relationship with him. Yet, we rejected his glory and chose to live for our own. This brought sin into the world, separated us from God, and placed upon us God’s righteous judgment of death. There is nothing that we can do to make ourselves right with God. We are completely helpless and bound for hell.
BUT GOD… being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us—while we were dead in our sins—sent his Son, Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:4-5). Being fully God and fully human, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law and then died for our sins on the cross. Jesus fully paid our sin debt. He absorbed the full wrath of the Father for our rebellion, died, and was buried in a tomb. Yet, three days later, Jesus rose bodily from the dead, never to die again. Forty days later, he ascended into heaven. He now sits at the right hand of God interceding for us as our great high priest. One day, he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and make all things new.
Through repentance and faith in Christ, all of our sins are forgiven as far as the east is from the west. We are now God’s children, sealed with the Spirit. God calls us to be on mission to make disciples for his glory until he comes, and we can dwell with him for all eternity.
This is the glorious gospel we proclaim. This is the good news we want our kids to be consumed with. Let us proclaim and live the gospel before them. Let us call them to proclaim the greatest story ever told to our neighbors and the nations as we await the return of our blessed Savior!
If you’d like to grow in discipling your children at home, consider working through Rooted’s Family Discipleship Curriculum. It’s great for churches or small groups, too!
