Wanted: Kingdom Families

To protect the identity of the author, we have opted not to list his name. To read the unabridged version of "Wanted: Kingdom Families", download the PDF here.

Eight years ago, I was given an article in a Christian magazine dedicated to world evangelization. One paragraph in particular caught my eye. The author suggested that any family choosing to take their children to "dangerous" out of the way places for the sake of Kingdom witness might be guilty of sacrificing their children to Molech.

Apparently, I was offering up my four children to Molech.

Few families today choose to go overseas. Many claim "family" is what keeps them from going because of either the risks associated with taking kids or the belief that families are a burden to church planting work. However, when family does prevent overseas work, the family may have become an idol.

Families are extremely important in missions. When the members of a family fulfill their biblical roles (women discipling women, men discipling men, parents training their children, husbands loving their wives, children honoring the Lord through obedience, etc.) it offers a team of witnesses broadly showcasing the body of Christ. A single family is usually not the local church, but the Puritans were right to say a family can be "a kind of little church".

In pioneer settings, this little church holds the DNA of a disciple-making, reproducible church. In restricted access countries, this household starter church is the center for worship, prayer, and teaching of the Word and it becomes a powerful example for new believers. Whole families also enable younger, single Christians to be a more acceptable and effective witnesses. This is particularly important in cultures which highly value families, do not understand singleness, and leave single workers little opportunity to build relationships with certain demographics.

In Matthew 28, Jesus commands all of his followers to make disciples of all nations, and this includes both singles and families. Parents should take the training of their children very seriously. But couples can easily idolize their children, focusing on worldly success and accomplishments for their children, rather than on disciple-making. Overseas work may seem like too much of a risk to take with children, but God's blessing us with families should motivate us to look for ways to make those families a blessing to others.

We should also consider what else might be worth losing for the sake of advancing the Kingdom among previously unreached people groups. Couples may be unwilling to give up careers, their beloved church family, or the ease and comfort of life in the West.  Western preoccupations with stuff, comfort, and convenience can be just as dangerous--if not more--than the unknowns or lack of creature comforts of a foreign culture. Children can easily do without power toys, video games, year round extra-curricular sports, junk food, and the teen Hollywood obsession.

In fact, distancing ourselves from the corrosive influences of American culture might actually serve to develop closer families and stronger character, positioning our families to be an even greater blessing to the nations. The commitment to be a blessing to the nations as a family is a goal for all Christian families, and families must be willing to sacrifice to reach this goal.

God never guarantees that all things will work out well in the world. The history of missions has some tragic stories of families overseas. However, God does promise that his Kingdom is worth giving whatever he asks and going wherever he calls, whatever the cost.

To read the unabridged version of "Wanted: Kingdom Families", download the PDF here.