EMAIL 1
Copy/ Paste this email into a browser and send it to parents.
Subject Line: Embracing a Different Kind of Discipleship
Dear Parents,
We all know that leading and guiding kids can be hard, and there always seems to be a lot to focus on. Not only do you have to keep everything running in your house, but you also have to teach your kids so many practical things as they progress in their journey of life. What often gets crowded out are the important lessons of faith that will lead your child to be a true disciple of Jesus. Just getting through the days can be overwhelming, so finding time to focus on the bigger issues of life seems impossible.
This month, we hope to help you have a different picture of discipleship and maybe make things a little easier for you as you lead. Discipleship doesn’t have to be an intimidating process, and we hope the resources we are providing will help you step into some simple things that will help both you and your kids. We have a great Online Parenting Class that will get your mind thinking in a different direction. Our Parent Toolbox Resource this month is a free chapter from a book called First-Century Youth Ministry: A Look Back For The Way Forward In Youth Ministry Discipleship, where author Heather Quiroz encourages us all to learn from the norms and practices of the first century and learn to value some different things. Don’t be fooled by the title; this resource will provide you as the parent of a non-teenager with a lot to chew on when it comes to how we think about discipleship, and it also offers some steps we can take to reclaim some of the ancient practices Jesus used with His disciples that would serve us well. Take a moment to download it and give it a read. Our goal is to help you make discipleship a normal and natural part of life at home. Let us know how we can help.
To watch this month’s video or download the Toolbox Resource, click on the links below.
[ INSERT LINK TO ONLINE PARENTING CLASS VIDEO ]
[ INSERT LINK TO TOOLBOX RESOURCE ]
Cheering you on!
[INSERT LEADER’S SIGNATURE HERE]
EMAIL 2
Copy/ Paste this email into a browser and send it to parents.
Subject Line: Walk with Me as I Walk with Jesus
Dear Parents,
When you think about your faith and how you are growing as a believer, can you picture being on a walk? Not a walk where you are all alone, but a walk where you are side by side with the creator of the universe. Picture a walk where you are being guided, learning, seeing new things, and understanding more and more about the world and yourself. Think of being on a walk with Jesus. Being a disciple is much like this kind of a walk. Jesus invites us all to follow Him as we move through the world, and it is comforting to know that we can follow a God who is a worthy leader.
As a parent, you have the opportunity to take your kids on a walk, too. You can invite them to walk with you as you walk with Jesus. That’s discipleship! It doesn’t have to be difficult. You don’t have to have all the answers to all the questions or know all the ins and outs of theology. You just need to walk with Jesus and invite your kids to be on the same journey.
This month, we have a lot of great resources that can help you embrace this mindset and practice a different type of discipleship in your family. Don’t forget to check out the Parent Toolbox Resource this month, which is a free chapter from a book called First-Century Youth Ministry: A Look Back For The Way Forward In Youth Ministry Discipleship, where author Heather Quiroz encourages us all to learn from the norms and practices of the first century and learn to value some different things. This month, we also want to provide you with an article titled Along The Way: Everyday Discipleship that will remind you that the Lord designed the family to be the primary place where faith is passed on through regular, simple, everyday moments lived together. And it’s in “along the way” places where we put our faith into practice. If you haven’t yet watched our Online Parenting Class, we would encourage you to do so as you think through this important topic.
[ INSERT LINK TO M2P PARENTING BLOG ARTICLE ]
[ INSERT LINK TO M2P ONLINE PARENTING CLASS VIDEO ]
[ INSERT LINK TO TOOLBOX RESOURCE ]
We are in this together! Let us know if there is ever anything we can do for you or your family.
Praying for you as you lead at home,
[INSERT LEADER’S SIGNATURE HERE]
M2P KIDS June Parent Video Script
As parents, we all have to embrace the responsibility of nurturing, guiding, and teaching our kids. Like you, ever since my kids entered the world, I’ve been keenly aware of the need to provide them with a solid foundation for growth and development. If I were to describe my role into one word, it would be that of a leader tasked with helping my kids become the people they are meant to be in the eyes of God.
Now, as we talk about parental duties in the church, there is one thing that often arises, and it’s the reality that you and I are the primary spiritual leaders and faith developers of our kids. We are responsible for their discipleship. If faith holds any significance in our lives and fostering a genuine relationship with God is a priority for our family, then it becomes really important to not only lead our kids but also to disciple them. This involves more than just exposing them to religious teachings or sporadic church attendance; it means that we have to take steps toward creating an environment in our home that is conducive to spiritual growth and development.
One critical piece of this is the idea that if we want our kids to be growing as disciples we, as parents, must also be growing as disciples ourselves. It is incumbent upon us to embody the principles of discipleship, showing our kids a tangible example of what a mature faith looks like. While we can’t be perfect (no one can) … we can try to lead by example and foster an atmosphere of discipleship within our homes.
Over my three decades of experience in family ministry and over twenty years of being a parent, I’ve observed a tendency that parents have to inadvertently hand over the spiritual development of their kids to the church. We do this for a lot of reasons. We don’t feel like we have all the answers. We’re not educated enough in theology or doctrine. We’re not living the life of faith we want to live, and we’re scared our kids are going to sniff it out. So, it’s just easier and maybe better if we leave the spiritual development to someone else … to one of the “professionals.” While I deeply value the influence of church leaders and programs, I recognize that my role as the primary influencer in my kids’ spiritual journey is not something that I can give away.
So, what does it mean to embrace this role? How do we go about discipling our kids? Contrary to what you might expect, it’s really not as daunting as it appears.
Heather Quiroz is a friend, ministry leader, and author who wrote a book called “First Century Youth Ministry. “In her book, she talks about the manner in which Jesus led and instructed his disciples. One of the central parts of what Jesus did was live in community. Jesus modeled what it looked like to allow obedience to the Father to permeate every aspect of life. We tend to compartmentalize our faith and make sure it fits within our busy schedules. But what if we took a cue from the Jewish culture of the first century and we worked to integrate our lives fully into a relationship with God?
When it comes to discipling our kids, quality of time matters. Not just a time where we all live in the same house and we all work to be successful and get things done. We need genuine community where we are fully engaged with one another and we build shared experiences that are centered on faith. As parents, we have to be willing to set aside all of the distractions that can easily grab our attention, and we have to prioritize our children’s spiritual well-being. We have to lead them towards a deeper understanding of God.
Here’s the good news … like other than the gospel good news … but related …
This journey of discipleship is not about having all the answers or, controlling behavior, or creating an illusion of perfection. Instead, it really revolves around fostering authentic community and prioritizing a life lived in alignment with God’s will. This all requires effort and sacrifice, but I promise you, the rewards far outweigh the challenges.
So, if I had to boil it down for you, I would say this: If you want to help your kids become disciples of Jesus, then walk with Jesus yourself and invite your kids to walk with you. Maybe simplify it a little, slow it all down, and value relationships and community. Walk with Jesus and invite your kids to walk with you as you walk with Him. If you simply do that, you’ll be laying the foundation for a journey of faith that will shape their lives for years to come.