St. Patrick’s Day GREEN means GO!!!

Throughout the month of March, St. Patrick’s Day decorations can remind our families to pray for Christian missionaries and to highlight the need for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.  St. Patrick’s Day GREEN can remind us that we’re all called to GO!

Encouraging Missions Throughout the Year - MARCH

St. Patrick’s Day

To many people, St. Patrick’s Day is nothing more than a holiday to commemorate the traditions of Ireland. People wear “Irish” green; stores decorate with shamrocks, leprechauns, and rainbows; and restaurants feature meals of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes . . . or green-colored mint milkshakes.

To others, March 17th is a day to gratify the flesh: to guzzle beer, or to glorify sinful lifestyles through disgraceful city-wide parades and demonstrations. How far we have come from the real story Saint Patrick and his early missionary sacrifices to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people Ireland. Today, more than ever, our world desperately needs the Lord, and the message that Patrick preached.

During the month of March, let’s remember the missionary story of St. Patrick. And let’s use all the GREEN decorations as a constant reminder, wherever we see them (in stores, restaurants, etc.), that we’re all called to GO with God’s GOOD NEWS!

Quick Facts:

St. Patrick’s Day - MARCH 17th

Patrick was the first Christian missionary to Ireland. In the United States, celebrations include city parades, Irish cultural celebrations, and the wearing of green.

Who was Saint Patrick?

“Saint” Patrick (389 – 461 AD) actually went to Ireland twice – first as a slave, and later as a missionary. Born in Britain (in Wales), Patrick is widely known as the first Christian missionary to the Irish people. During his youth (from 16 to 22 years old), he was captured and taken to Ireland. While there, young Patrick repented of his sinful, backslidden condition. Years later, after escaping to his homeland, he received a vision from God calling him to return to the Irish people to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. Patrick obeyed God’s call and went back.

For the remainder of his life, Patrick ministered among the heathen tribes of Ireland – confronting Irish idolatry and sorcery, converting many to Jesus Christ, and baptizing thousands of people. Tradition says he used the three-leaf Irish clover to teach the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

According to historian William Federer, who wrote St. Patrick: The Real History of His Life, From Tragedy to Triumph, “He was actually a missionary and he converted 120,000 druids from paganism to Christianity.” Federer claims that in the fifth century A.D., Patrick did more than perhaps anyone in history to spread Christianity in Europe. Although druids attempted to kill him over a dozen times,  Patrick continued to preach the message of Jesus Christ, and throughout his ministry he pioneered over 300 Christian churches. Patrick also spoke out against slavery, and because of this, some call him the world’s first abolitionist.

Mission-Minded Family Resources:

To learn more about St. Patrick, I recommend Hero Tales - Volume III, by Dave & Neta Jackson (Bethany House Publishers). Along with the short biography summary, St. Patrick: Missionary to Ireland, the Jackson’s include three devotional stories (each with a focus “From God’s Word” and “Let’s Talk About It” discussion questions) to read aloud:

• “Your Ship is Ready” — Trust
• The Fire on the Hill — Boldness
• Blood on the White Robes — Righteous Anger

VeggieTales has a funny “flannel-graph” version of the St. Patrick story, which is surprisingly historically accurate, on the VeggieTales DVD, Sumo of the Opera.

Also, Focus on the Family has a special “Days to Remember” edition of Adventures in Odyssey, with two episodes specifically highlighting the true meaning of St. Patrick’s Day.

Prayer Focus:

Pray for peace in Ireland, especially between Protestants and Catholics. Pray for the true message of salvation to spread throughout Ireland and for missionaries who are sharing the Gospel throughout Ireland today. Remember people in the United States, who are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by doing evil things, and that these people would hear about the real story or St. Patrick, and the Gospel he preached. Pray also that we would have an obedient heart to go wherever God calls us to go.

NOTE: This article is adapted from the chapter “Enjoying Missions Throughout the Year” from Ann’s newest book, The Mission-Minded Family - Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny.

What is a mission-minded child?

FOLLOW CAELA’S 1st MISSION TRIP:  March 1 - 11, mission-minded Caela Rose Dunagan (age 12) will be going on her first missionary adventure . . . to UGANDA, E. AFRICA!!! She will be accompanying her mom, Ann Dunagan, to checkup on hundreds of children at Harvest Ministry’s two orphanages (Osanidde Village and Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center) and to minister at a Village Women’s Conference.

Stay tuned for Caela’s personal mission updates on our twitter-feed (or see the side bar right here on this website for recent entries) -#CaelaOnMission.

A mission-minded child may want to become a missionary–or a teacher or a doctor or a newspaper reporter or a state governor or a pastor or a businessperson or an airplane pilot or an author or a florist or a mother–as long as its what God wants.

The following excerpt is a highlight from the introduction of The Mission-Minded Child - Raising a New Generation to Fulfill God’s Purpose (Authentic, 2007). Hope you enjoy it!

So, what is a mission-minded child?

A mission-minded child . . .

• dreams of fulfilling God’s destiny.
• prays for that next-door neighbor.
• A mission-minded child may want to become a missionary–or a teacher or a doctor or a newspaper reporter or a state governor or a pastor or a businessperson or an airplane pilot or an author or a florist or a mother–as long as its what God wants.
• is not a picky eater!
• takes home a photo magnet from the visiting missionary family and puts it on the kitchen refrigerator.
• is healthy, active, and adventurous.
• spends a summer night sleeping outside on the trampoline, gazes up at a sky filled with twinkling stars, and realizes God’s plan is infinitely bigger than his or her own backyard.
• imagines rollerblading on the Great Wall of China!
• recognizes the names of David Livingstone, Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, and Loren Cunningham.
• knows how to use chopsticks.
• has a reputation for thoroughly enjoying the Bible sword drills and memory verse contests at church.
• puts extra money in the monthly missions offering and feels extra good inside.
• thinks it could be fun to sleep in a mud hut in Africa!
• reads all the way through the Bible by the age of ten (or eleven or twelve)–and is excited to start again!
• stares at the photos in the new geography textbook or magazine and imagines climbing to the top of that Egyptian pyramid, snorkeling in those tropical-blue waters, and giving a new outfit to that poor boy with the ripped-up shirt.
• befriends the new kid at school.
• thinks beyond the “box” of what’s merely expected and hopes to do something big, or something little, for God.
• wants to obey (even when no one is looking).
• loves Jesus!

For Christian parents and teachers, “world missions” is not just an extracurricular subject to teach our kids, it’s the core of our curriculum. Let’s raise the next generation to have a passion for God’s Great Commission. As Hudson Taylor (a famous missionary to China) often said, “The Great Commission is not an option to consider, it’s a command to obey.”

And how about adding to our list!!!  How are you raising your children to have God’s heart for the world and His Great Commission, and in your childrens lives (in day-to-day routines and in your “where-the-rubber-meets-the-road” reality) what is it like to be a genuine mission-minded child in your experience?

Now it’s your turn:

A mission-minded child . . .

Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny

Often, parents and teachers ask their children, “What do YOU want to be when you grow up?” Even within the church, this present generation is fixated on obtaining fame, wealth, and pleasure. But shouldn’t we be encouraging our children’s willingness to surrender to God’s plans for their futures?

In The Mission-Minded Family, Ann Dunagan presents a plan to transform the “Me Generation” into passionate warriors consumed with God’s glory.

The Mission-Minded Family

(Authentic, 2008) - By Ann Dunagan

Download a FREE SAMPLE!

BUY NOW (including discounts for BOXES of 12 or CASES of 48!!!)

What Others Are Saying:

GIVE YOUR FAMILY A DANGEROUS DESTINY! “I loved this book! In a time in our country where the tendency is to keep our money and time and children very safe, this book encourages - even pushes - us to get out in the world and make a real difference with the resources we’ve been given. Ann Dunagan is no arm-chair missionary…the pages of the book are filled with actual experiences that she and her husband and kids have done for many years. It totally inspired me to take some big risks and help my kids learn to love the world beyond our doorstep.” - Bo Stern - Bend, Oregon

EDUCATIONAL . . . AND THE COOLEST BOOK! - “The Mission Minded Family” by Ann Dunagan is the coolest book! It has everything: hymns, stories of missions, mini biographies of missionaries, skits, a calendar of international holidays and suggestions for how to pray on those days, tools for teaching mission-mindedness, and even practical tips for missionary travel. This is an educational and informative book whether you’re planning to be a foreign missionary, a local missionary, or just learn about the field.” - Stacey, Las Vegas, NV

ABSOLUTELY INSPIRING! - “In our busy lives, very seldom, do we stop to ask God if we’re truly fulfilling His purposes in our lives. “The Mission Minded Family” opens that line of communication between you and God to have a discussion about His will for your life…Don’t be surprised if you hear God speaking to you in greater ways than you ever imagined. If you are a church leader, I can’t imagine a better resource to promote to your congregation and a better gift to give to your missionary families. Ann Dunagan walks you through her and her husband’s lives as a missionaries and sprinkles it with wisdom coming from her young children who have experienced the power of God in and through their lives. The book is not only a resource that provides you with countless “how-to’s,” but it is filled with the Dunagan family’s missionary experiences that will inspire you and draw you nearer to God.”- CHERI HILL

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Seeking First the Kingdom in a Self-Absorbed Culture

A Press Release - by The B & B Media Group

Often, parents and teachers ask their children, “What do YOU want to be when you grow up?” In a world that is increasingly self-seeking, self-centered, and self-absorbed, the answers are consistently more egocentric–”a movie star,” “a rock star,” “a dance star.” Even within the church, this present generation is fixated on obtaining fame, wealth, and pleasure. But shouldn’t we be encouraging our children’s willingness to surrender to God’s plans for their futures? Shouldn’t our question instead be, “Oh, I wonder what awesome plans God has for your life! When you grow up, will you do whatever GOD wants you to do?”

In her new book, The Mission-Minded Family: Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny (Authentic, July 2008), author, teacher, and missionary, Ann Dunagan shows parents how to combat the influence of the “Me Generation” by giving readers the tools to revolutionize their families into ones dedicated to fulfilling God’s will and potential, instead of their own. In the first chapter of her book, Dunagan quotes David Shibley as he clearly addresses the current crisis within the church.

“We whine, ‘I just want to know my purpose; I’ve got to reach my destiny.” We race all over the country to attend ‘destiny conferences,’ and we devour tapes and books on ‘reaching your full potential . . . ‘ Even cloaking our self-centeredness in Christian garb and jargon cannot cover the nakedness of this cult of self that has infested much of the church . . . How can we ever hope to discover our purpose in the earth with little or no interest in His purpose?”

Dunagan, who also wrote The Mission-Minded Child, brings the same perspective to what it means to be a mission-minded family. Her goal is to equip today’s godly parents to train our next generation to make a powerful impact for Jesus Christ by directing their focus outward. “Every day, approximately 150,000 people die; the majority of these people are not saved, and far too many have never even heard God’s Good News of salvation,” says Dunagan. “How can we sit back and hear the Gospel again and again, while many are still waiting to hear it for the first time? [adapted from a mission quote by Oswald J. Smith]. Today’s Christian families desperately need to remember that our purpose in this world involves so much more than what we can attain for ourselves. We’re here to reach the lost.”

The Mission-Minded Family includes suggested activities for families to participate in missions together, as well as resources to help families develop the desire to become more missions-focused. Dunagan discusses the need for families to balance and prioritize their everyday lives and delves into what a family’s finances would look like if they were focused on missions. Families who read and practice principles from this book will receive a rekindled closeness as they participate in ministry together.

“In a mission-minded family, there’s a God-infused energy,” Dunagan explains. “There’s a focus on God’s worldwide purpose and a passion for the lost.” There’s a spiritual depth and hunger that reaches beyond the maintenance mode of cultural Christianity.”

Packed with motivating missions stories, hymns, and quotes, The Mission-Minded Family is a quick resource tool with examples of missionary family heroes, ministry ideas, exciting prayer projects, and even practical tips for international travel. Filled with passionate inspiration, The Mission-Minded Family will be picked up again and again, read aloud, and used as a reference for years to come.

You can also find The Mission-Minded Family at e316.com, ChristianBook.com, YWAM’s WorldChristian.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, CBN’s Parable.com, and STL - Authentic Books

Balancing Missions & Family

How can we balance our passion for missions with our hearts for our homes? Do we have to choose between “raising our kids” and “reaching the lost”—or is it possible to do both?

As parents, we’re called to raise our kids; and as Christians, we’re called to reach the lost. We really can’t fulfill one of these callings, if we choose to neglect the other.

As I was writing The Mission-Minded Family, I felt especially led to evaluate the homes and family-lives of well-known missionaries. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to realize that many missionary heroes with families were not heroes of the family. Some of the most prominent names in mission history had horrible problems at home; while other leaders (such as William and Catherine Booth of the Salvation Army or Hudson and Maria Taylor) found a powerful ministry-family balance.

As I began to delve deeper into these examples, I searched for clues and common-denominators for those godly world-changing leaders who had God-glorifying homes. And I believe I found the key. It’s PRAYER. The men and women of God who focused primarily on seeking the Lord and their personal devotion to Him (rather than focusing on a merely a successful ministry) seemed to find God’s divine balance for each day. As a result, not only did their ministries glorify God, but their families did as well.

Author and international minister Dr. David Shibley says, “The normal Christian life is anything but balanced, as popularly defined . . . The normal Christian life is high risk and high joy. The normal Christian life releases the temporal to embrace the eternal . . . God is not calling us to win the world and, in the process, lose our families. But I have known those who so enshrined family life and were so protective of “quality time” that the children never saw the kind of consuming love that made their parents’ faith attractive to them. Some have lost their children, not because they weren’t at their soccer games or didn’t take family vacations, but because they never transmitted a loyalty to Jesus that went deep enough to interrupt personal preferences.”

I want my family to have that kind of consuming love, with high risk and high joy. I want to live out my faith in a way that is not only attractive, but also compelling and irresistible! I want to be moved by the passions of God’s heart—and for my kids to take these godly passions to a deeper level. I want to hand off the baton to my descendants, and have them run faster and farther than I ever did.

Let’s raise our kids; let’s reach the lost; and let’s challenge the next generation to live for God with even greater boldness, wisdom, and effectiveness. Through Christ, all things are possible.

What is a Mission-Minded Family?

In a mission-minded family, there’s a God-infused energy. There’s a focus on God’s worldwide purpose, and there’s a passion for the lost. There’s a spiritual depth and hunger that reaches beyond the maintenance mode of cultural Christianity.

A mission-minded family emphasizes leadership, calling, and destiny. There’s a prevailing attitude of self-sacrifice and an emphasis on total submission to God’s will. And there’s an unmistakable and contagious joy.

A mission-minded family . . .

• loves to make God smile!

• learns to be diligent, because there’s work to be done and many needs in this world

• brings a stack of well-worn Bibles to church!

• enjoys presents at Christmastime, but never forgets all the poor little children in Cambodia who have nothing.

• is focused on eternity.

• knows how to look up Afghanistan, Bolivia, Singapore, and Tibet, and imagines more than what they see on a map.

• eats rice!

• learns how to share the “gospel colors” and is excited about the miniature EvangeCube that can hook to a kid’s backpack.

• dreams of traveling around the world and makes sure each person has an updated passport–just in case!

• thinks about the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day–and all the people wearing green who don’t have a clue that Patrick was a missionary.

• lives in SUB-mission!

• shakes missionaries’ hands after church and invites their family over for dinner.

• knows that when the Lord guides, He also provides.

• keeps the lawn mowed, as a good Christian witness to the neighbors.

• is strategically aimed for God’s purpose.

• anticipates the excitement of the teenage years and looks forward to youth group mission trips.

• keeps active and healthy in order to be physically able to do whatever God requires.

• gives generously–even when it hurts!

• enjoys carryon luggage with wheels, final boarding calls, and airline peanuts.

• thinks beyond the box of what’s merely expected and hope to do something big (or something little) for God.

• lives for Jesus!

This article by Ann Dunagan, is an excerpt from her newest book, The Mission-Minded Family - Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny (Authentic Media, 2008). It is also a featured article on The Christian Post’s “Better Parenting - Better Families” Blog.

Black Friday, Money, & Missions

In the United States, the day after Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as “Black Friday.” It’s often the CRAZIEST and busiest shopping day of the year. For many, it’s the beginning of busy Christmas preparations, and annual traditions of giving . . . and often needless overspending. It’s a good day to realign our priorities and our pocketbooks to line-up with God’s purposes, and to remember what’s really important. How we spend our money is a direct reflection of where our heart is focused.

How your family views money and possessions is intrinsically connected with how you view God’s priorities in life. As Christians, we should have the perspective that everything belongs to God: all of our time, all of our talents, all of our life decisions, and yes, all of our money.

I believe it’s important to teach our children about God’s principle of tithing (giving 10 percent of our income to Him), but even more importantly, we need to instill in our family that 100 percent of everything in our lives belongs to God. This principle is much easier caught—by our example—than taught by our words.

Even if your family never lives in a foreign country, you’re still called to be fulltime mission-minded followers, and to participate in expanding God’s kingdom—both locally, and throughout the world.

As Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary to China, often said, “The Great Commission is not an option to consider, but a command to obey.”

There are many ways your family could raise extra money to support international mission projects. Here is a list of activities commonly used by children’s churches, youth groups, and short-term mission teams. The time will come, however, when these efforts won’t be enough.

A true mission-minded family just needs to earn and save money, step out in faith and trust, and manage (or “steward”) those resources according to what’s important . . . for eternity.

Ten Ways to Raise Money for Missions

• Have your children decorate a special container, perhaps with a photo, and begin saving coins for a specific mission project.
• Make a “thermometer” to chart a specific family mission goal, and put it on your refrigerator.
• Have a yard sale with all proceeds going for a specific mission project.
• Have each family member offer to do work for relatives or friends (such as housecleaning, laundry, child care, or yard work) in exchange for people donating toward a special mission project.
• Collect newspapers for recycling.
• Recycle aluminum (and go around neighborhoods to get even more).
• Organize a car wash; rather than charging a set amount, receive donations.
• Make and sell something, like a craft project or a baked item.
• Receive mission donations fo r after-church lattes and espressos.
• Have a “multiply your talents” project. Give each family member a certain amount of money with the mission-minded purpose of using this money, along with his or her talents, abilities, and creativity, for a specified length of time (perhaps two weeks, or one month) to raise money for a specific mission project. A child could use the money to buy gas for a lawn mower, to buy lemonade to sell on the corner, or to buy ingredients for a neighborhood bake sale. At the end of the designated time have each family member return the original money, along with the surplus he or she raised, and give it toward the mission project.
• Remember, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” A great way to “earn money” for missions is simply to SAVE MONEY for MISSIONS. Instead of window-shopping through the malls, or overspending on too many Christmas gifts, stay away from the stores and be on-the-lookout for international mission needs and local benevolence projects.

Motivating for Missions at FamilyLife

THE MISSION-MINDED FAMILY on FamilyLifeToday:
Ann Dunagan with Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine - Click on each link for the broadcast and full transcript of each interview

DAY #1 of 3 on FamilyLifeToday - “Living a Life of Surrender”
DAY #2 of 3 on FamilyLifeToday - “Leading Your Family in the Great Commission”
DAY #3 of 3 on FamilyLifeToday - “Preparing for Missions”

More about Ann’s Mission-Minded books featured on the broadcast:
The Mission-Minded Family - Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny
The Mission-Minded Child - Raising a New Generation to Fulfill God’s Purpose

Ann traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas to record six radio programs at the ministry studios of Family Life (three programs for Family Life Today with Bob Lepine and Dennis Rainey and three programs for the women’s ministry of Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, which will broadcast at a later date). The shows focused on the importance of God’s Great Commission and being a “Mission-Minded Family.” It was an amazing experience! Thank you for your prayers (and thank you, Jesus!!!).

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Be an Example to Your Kids - and PRAY!

Recently, I have been thinking about the importance of personal prayer within families . . . behind the public front door of each home and behind the public “image” each family displays.

How can we follow Jesus, and know His will for our lives and for our families, without taking time to be with Him? How can we minister God’s life-changing presence to our own children . . . and to our extended families and our local communities . . . and to our world, unless we take time to know Him?

As Christians, we have been given a tremendous honor and an amazing invitation to spend time with God every day. At the beginning, a new lifestyle of daily prayer will require consistent personal desire and discipline; but eventually (by God’s grace, not merely self-effort) your time with the Lord can become the delight of your day and the greatest strength of your family life and your ministry to others.

Eternally effective families consist of people who consistently pray.

In a spiritually-healthy God-loving family, a lifestyle of prayer includes praying with others at church, praying together as a family, and praying (or “interceding”) for the needs of others and for the needs of the world; yet, nothing is more spiritually beneficial for families than a lifestyle of personal private prayer. Eternally effective families consist of people who consistently pray.

As God-loving and Bible-believing families, we all know that prayer is important.

As Christians, we tell our kids that it’s good to pray (or our pastor mentions the fact often enough for our kids to get the message . . . and for us as parents to feel a bit guilty). Perhaps we pray before mealtime (during those special yet unfortunately dwindling occasions when our far-too-busy family can actually gather our hands around a sit-down dinner). Perhaps we pray for our kids at night (during those special times when we remember to tuck our little ones in bed before they fall asleep).

Yet how many of us, as moms and dads, are a bit lacking (or majorly deficient) in our own daily personal prayer lives? As each dad, and mom, and child and/or teenager develops his or her own personal relationship with God through a regular quiet time with the Lord, the effect is powerful.

Be a spiritual example to your kids . . . by having a regular time and place for prayer

As parents, one of the greatest ways to instill in your kids the foundation of life-impacting faith is for your kids to actually “see” you reading your Bible, (on a regular everyday basis, not just at church), and for your kids to “see” you taking time to pray by yourself.

Establish a PLACE for PRAYER

I believe it’s helpful to establish a regular “place” to meet with the Lord each day:

• perhaps a comfy chair in a spare bedroom
• perhaps in your home office
• perhaps on the couch in your living room
• perhaps on a trail outside your house or a quiet walk around your neighborhood

Establish a Regular PLACE for PRAYER

If you haven’t been praying, it’s also a good idea to begin by setting aside a particular new “meeting time” with God:

• perhaps set your morning alarm a bit earlier
• perhaps establish a new habit of reading God’s Good News, the Bible - instead of the morning newspaper - as you’re sipping your morning coffee
• perhaps take time for the Lord during your noontime lunch hour
• perhaps before bed in the evening
  

“Round-up” a few items to help establish a consistent time with God

If you decided to establish a new habit of physical exercise, such beginning to start jogging a bit each day, you would probably take a few minutes to “round up” some running shoes and perhaps dig through the back of your closets to find some sweats or shorts. If you wanted to add some meals to your cooking, you would need to “round up” some new menu ingredients, or search for some new recipe idea. The same idea holds true for establishing a new habit of spiritual discipline and daily prayer. If you haven’t been taking the time to consistently pray on a regular basis, it’s helpful to “round up” a few quiet-time accessories or “spiritual” items and to have them set aside and waiting for you in your designated new quiet-time place.

Here are a few suggestions for helpful “QUIET TIME” items:

• your own Bible (with a marker to remember where you are reading)
• a daily Bible-reading chart
• a journal or notebook, with a pen and a highlighter
• a devotional or “meaty” spiritual book (to challenge your walk with Christ)
• a world map, and missionary newsletters
• a CD with quiet worship music
• possibly even items for holy communion (with wafers, a cup, and grape juice) for a personal communion time (see I Corinthians 11) perhaps on a daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis, to remember the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice

Remember to be flexible . . . and walk with God throughout each day!

Along with consistency in prayer, it’s important to be flexible. In the life of every family, there will be different seasons and changing schedules. What works today may not work tomorrow; yet even so, we need to faithfully guard our time with God. If what you’re doing right now, concerning your personal daily prayer life, is working, by all means keep it up; but if it’s not working, please ask for God’s help and His grace (along with His unlimited creative ideas) to make a change!

Living a life of prayer is simply walking and talking with God. It’s vital to acknowledge God’s presence right beside you and with you all throughout each day.

As individuals, and as families, we can welcome the presence of God’s Spirit into every dimension of our lives. God cares about everything (whether little or big, silly or significant, everyday or eternal), and we can welcome His presence into every decision and every activity. In our families and in our daily communication with God, there should not be a barrier between what is “holy” and what is “common”; instead, God desires for every dimension of our lives (at home, at school, at church, at work, and even at play) to be lived in constant fellowship with Him.

Mission-Minded Passports

Have you considered traveling internationally or taking a family mission trip?

If you want to be a part of God’s Great Commission (Matthew 26:19 and Mark 16:15 – to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel”), here’s a little question with BIG implications:

DO YOU HAVE YOUR PASSPORTS YET?

I just wrote my first article for Heart of the Matter Online, a great homeschooling website. In this article I share instructions to make mission-minded “Passports” — as a fun craft project and learning tool (including a FREE pdf file with passport pages, and links to FREE international flag stamps). I also motivate families to go one step further and to apply for “real” passports. Come take a look! (And it would be wonderful if you could leave an encouraging comment on the Heart of the Matter site! We’re hoping to keep this door open to continue motivating as many homeschooling families as possible to get involved in world missions!)

Click here for PASSPORTS FOR MISSIONS (at Heart of the Matter Online)

Easy-to-make passport crafts are perfect for mission-minded Vacation Bible Schools, Christian school or homeschooling projects for art, Bible, or geography, children’s ministry or Sunday school classes, and for mission-minded families. Spread the word to others. It’s a tool that is available for FREE to motivate children for God’s Great Commission!

Blessings to you!

Ann

Audio #3 - MISSION

God has a specific “mission” - a plan and a “bulls-eye” destiny for your family. He has a purpose for each member individually and for your family as a unit. You’re called to be a part of God’s bigger eternal picture. Your family is called to expand God’s kingdom!

Audio #3 - MISSION

The third audio in Ann’s 3-part-series, “Living Joyfully as a Mission-Minded Family.”

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