As I sit here typing, I’ve just gotten back from my trip to Orlando, where I was born and raised, and I can still remember vividly the old Greyhound Bus Station that was in Downtown Orlando. The bus station has since moved, and obviously, I’ve grown up. But there is still a memory fresh in my mind from when I was a young kid traveling with my mother.
As a man approached, I no longer remember his face, but I do remember my mom’s kind gesture of handing him money for food after he told her he was hungry and needed it. My mom had no clue that her son would become missional.
Although things have changed in my life and Orlando is no longer home, and I have a family of my own, I am challenged as a parent to pass down to my child the spiritual discipline of being always on mission.
As we’re well into the fall, this is a good time to pause in family life and pass down the commandment to your children to be on mission.
First, it must start with you as a parent. My mom didn’t know it at the time, or maybe she did; she was passing down to her young son to be present and respond to the need at hand. I can’t even begin to tell you how her simple gesture shaped who I am today.
As parents, we already know this, but our kids are watching us. One simple missional gesture that we have decided to do in our home is to serve together. As a family, we have blocked out three dates on our calendar between now and the end of the year to serve others.
Second, be intentional in placing your kids around people who are on mission. Recently, I had the privilege of spending time with Auburn University’s football chaplain Mike Blac, who also serves as the vice president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). I love the values and focus of FCA, which has a simple but powerful mission statement.
Since 1954, FCA has been challenging coaches and athletes to use the dynamic platform of sports to reach their peers with the transforming power of Jesus Christ. It’s that simple.
As I watch my daughter and her friends every weekend during their week in the FCA chapel at her public school, I am reminded that they are leading students to be on mission.
During my time with Mike, I was reminded that, as disciples of Jesus, we are called to always be on mission. By intentionally placing your child in organizations like FCA, you are showing them what you believe and value. Not to mention, most FCA groups serve food before their events, and all kids like food.
Third, I served as a youth pastor for 20 years and enjoyed every minute of it. The one value that has stayed with me is that families who go on mission together stay together. We’re in the fall, and most mission trips take place in the summer, so it’s a good time to pray and think through where God is calling you to be a disciple, as Mike Blac told me. As such, this is a good time to pray and think through where God could be calling you, as a family, to go together.
Fourth, in a world that seems displaced and unsafe, I would recommend that if it’s time to send your child on a mission solo, then do it with safety and prayer in mind. I recently had the privilege of sitting down with Our Bond CEO, Doron Kempel. Our Bond uses innovation and technology to watch over and connect with your loved one.
During my time with Doron, he mentioned that the company handles 1.5 million service requests a year and can be used anywhere, including on the mission field. I know what you’re thinking, that your child will think that you’re keeping an eye on them; however, with Our Bond, there are many different services that you can choose from as a parent.
Let me be clear, God knows and loves your children more than you can as a parent, and wants them to be on mission. As a good Father, He knows what your child is capable of doing and where they should be. Just ask Him, and I believe that He will give you what you need as a parent to live and show your child what it means to be on mission.
Photo Credit: ©Pexels/Julia M Cameron
Originally published October 09, 2026.
