Disciple your kids (part 1)

January 2024
Loran Tang, recruiter and training coordinator of Children Ministry 

Disciple your kids (part 1)

Happy New year parents.

I can’t believe it’s already 2024. I don’t know did anyone of you set new year’s resolution. At least, I did, for myself, my family and my small group.

In my previous blogs, I have emphasized that parents always play a pivotal role to nurture their children’s spiritual lives while Children Ministry works as your partner. I hope some parents set resolutions and determination to disciple their kids. To me, this is an utmost important and privileged task. However, you may wonder how? How can we disciple our kids?

I think there is no one-fits-all formula or strategy but we still have some general principles or good tips for you. Let me here share the utmost important one in part (1):

Choose God (that means you have to sacrifice at times)

I believe our ways to live are the strongest messages that have most significant impact on our kids. Double standards or double lives will never serve to lead your kids to God closer no matter how good we look at the church.

If we mean to enter the “narrow gate” through the narrow path, we must be willing to sacrifice our time, money, our preferences at times in order to choose God. After all, Jesus’s mission of salvation is all about sacrifice and His life was all about giving. How can we be His disciples and bear the cross if we don’t give and sacrifice? If we mean to put Christ in the center of our lives and to honor Him, we have to look at how we spend our time and money, which is indeed the strongest statement to speak up our lives. I know it’s not a pleasant topic to discuss with. Teaching of suffering for God is almost obnoxious in the North America.

However, when you choose to come to worship and not to go hiking with a group on Sunday morning; when you choose to donate money in God’s kingdom and sacrifice one road trip; when you commit in a ministry even though you’re busy with your works and chores, they all teach your kids what does it mean to put God first AND they’ll learn.

I have been a coordinator of Junior Worship for more than 15 years. In the past 15 years, I have to come to church by 9:20 every Sunday. I believe my kids learn very well what commitment and loving your church mean without me saying anything. Instead of choosing programs from churches to churches, your sacrifice can better equip your kids to stay and serve in a church. A paradox indeed!!

So parents, I really encourage you to review your decisions and lifestyles if you are determined to disciple and to coach your kids in their spiritual journeys. Do your lifestyles show that you put God first? During my parenting journey, I have to ask myself this question again and again. It can be painful sometimes either when I sacrificed or not to sacrifice (because that shows my heart!). However, your efforts to choose God in every decision will bless you and your family abundantly. Let’s strive for this together.

I’ll share other tips in my next blog. If you have any thoughts or inputs, you are welcome to share with me too.

Connect to Cheryl: Cheryl.li@bacfamily.org
Connect to Loran: loran.tang@bacfamily.org