Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12; Matthew 25:14-30
Introduction
I have observed that the church is bereft of spirit-filled, dedicated, and energetic young people to drive effective mission today. Our older folks only look back to recount their good old days when they were so driven by mission at every point. I recently had an open forum with my unique Congregation, El-Perez, and we came to understand the indifference, apathy, and low desire for mission among our young ones.
We have long held a deep respect for elders, tradition, and the role of raising children. As Christians on the continent, we are uniquely positioned to bring this heritage into alignment with the call of Christ. Our children are not passive spectators in the Kingdom. They are God’s vessels in formation, shaped for mission. An African theologian and General Secretary of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, Rev. Byang Kato, once said:
“The Church in Africa is growing in numbers, but our concern must be growth in depth… so that our children are not only believers, but disciples.”
Where did we go wrong?
We must understand that nurturing the young ones for the mission of God should be intentional but not accidental. The future of the Church is not only in the hands of the clergy or adult leaders but also in the hearts of our children.
Look, they are arrows in the quiver of God, meant to be sharpened, aimed, and released into the world for His divine purposes (Psalm 127:4). But arrows don’t sharpen themselves. They must be carefully shaped for their task; hence, the need for intentional preparation of our children for the mission. Without it, the results would be worse than we are observing nowadays.
For our sermonette today, I will focus on the sacred responsibility that God has placed upon families, churches, schools, and society, that is to raise a generation of children who are mission-minded, equipped, built in love to serve the Lord as individuals and at the corporate level.
The Biblical Mandate: Raising Children in the Word of God
Preparing our children for the mission is a mandate from God. It is a responsibility, I believe we will be accountable to God one day.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers... be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”(Deuteronomy 6:6–12)
Faith Begins at Home
In the text above, Moses was speaking to parents, not priests. This mandate to teach children God’s Word begins in the home. As a parent, you must be the first Bible teacher and a model of Christian spirituality for your children.
Again, the daily rhythm sounded in the text, “when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up,” reminds us that discipleship, that preparation of children for mission, is not occasional, it is intentional, strategic, and constant.
Prof. Kwame Bediako, once emphasized:
“The renewal of the African Church will not be found in structures alone but in homes where the Word is lived out daily.”
We must restore the home as the first mission field and parents as the first missionaries.
Let us understand that teaching the Word of God gives children a foundation of truth in a world of shifting values.
When children memorize and internalize the Word, they grow with spiritual resilience, moral clarity, and eternal perspective.
For instance, Africa is rich with proverbs and storytelling traditions. This must be a guide to saturate our homes with the stories of Scripture and help our children interpret their lives through God's lens.
Tokunboh Adeyemo puts it,
“When a child knows the story of God, they are not easily lost in the stories of the world.”
Children are not empty vessels, they carry God's purpose. The Church must teach them that God has entrusted them with gifts to use for His glory. Mbiti would say, “The African child is not a burden to be carried, but a fire to be kindled." This mission we prepare the child for includes evangelism, service, innovation, leadership, and compassion.
Beloved in Christ, God expects return His investment in us. We must teach our children that mission is not only attending church but extending the Kingdom wherever they are.
1. Family Worship and Practice
In preparation of our children for mission, regular devotion, prayer, and conversation about God at home reinforces what they learn at church. Children absorb more from what we live than what we say. Let your life be a visible gospel to the child with intentions to guide them through their calling into mission.
2. What Is the Mission?
“To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability."(Matthew 25:15)
Each child is entrusted with the gift of time, talent, skills, and opportunities to embark upon the growth of the mission. The focus of the mission is to help them use what they have to glorify God and serve others.
Like the servants in the parable, we are called to work on our lives for multiplication to the benefit of all, but not to hide them. Children must understand that their intelligence, creativity, and even play ought to be used for God’s glory.
Mission is not just about just preaching. It includes kindness, service, standing for truth, and being salt and light in every environment (Matthew 5:13–16).
3. The Model of Spiritual Nurturing
“We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children… like a father dealing with his own children…”(1 Thessalonians 2:7–12)
Reading full passage of the text above, Paul paints a picture of spiritual parenting:
- Tender loving care (v.7) – Children must be nurtured with love and patience.
- Sacrificial presence (v.8) – Paul says, we shared not only the gospel but our lives. Sacrifice must be our course of life to prepare the young ones.
- Encouragement, comfort, and urging (v.11–12) – Parents are to guide their children to live lives worthy of God. Since the follower walks the walk of the leader, we must walk on the road worthy of God's glory.
This passage gave a framework for all mentors, parents, and spiritual leaders to build relationships strong enough to carry truth.
4. Hindrances to Preparing Children for Mission
Despite our calling, several factors threaten this mission. Join me to run through a few points to open us up to some of them.
Parental Abdication
Parents often leave spiritual teaching to Sunday school teachers or pastors. When the home is spiritually silent, children may hear God’s Word once a week, but the world’s trending values every minute of the day. Parental abdication to consciously preparing their children is a major hindrance to the mission of God.
Cultural Distractions
We are in an era of distraction from God's values. Social media, entertainment, and consumerism bombard children of today with messages that promote the self over service, pleasure over purpose, desire over direction, and trending over truth. The obsession with fame and success blinds them to the call of faithfulness and obedience.
Secular Education Systems
Gone are the days when curriculum designers were mission-minded. Until recently, the Ghanaian basic school system was guided by the Presbyterian educational curriculum, focused on nurturing the head- knowledge, hands- skills, and heart- compassionate care of the child. Governments upon governments have successfully turned education into what produces "intelligent criminals."
Our schools educate the mind and handwork, but not the spirit of the individuals. A purely secular education teaches achievement without accountability to God. It is not surprising to see a well-positioned continent like Africa with all the needed resources to develop still struggle to feed its citizens due corruption pandemic.
Proliferation of Passive Churches
A church that entertains but does not equip its youth breeds spiritual immaturity. Churches are now focused on entertaining the youth to keep them rather than whipping them in line with God's mission for their lives.
Children must be involved in service, not just spectators in pews. They must be nurtured to use their gifts, as challenging as it may seem. The church must sit up to comfort with the rod and staff, a balance to prepare our children for the mission.
Broken Homes and Societal Neglect
It is disheartening to observe the divorce rate spike with flimsy, selfish, and egoistic reasons on the table. Divorce, absentee parenting, poverty, and abuse in all forms contribute to children growing up without stable foundations. Society’s failure to protect children robs them of the safe bed they may need to dream and grow spiritually.
5. Prepare Children for Christ’s Mission
Parents:
Live your faith authentically. Children are watching more than they are listening. Establish consistent family devotions. Give children age-appropriate responsibilities in the church. Expose them to mission work: visiting the sick, feeding the poor, serving others. Paul said, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Church:
Let the church train teachers and youth leaders to disciple, not just entertain. Provide platforms for children and youth to serve, teach, and lead. Create intergenerational mentorship programs. Celebrate spiritual milestones like baptism, graduations, promotion at work, new appointments, first time whole Bible reading, or mission involvement.
Schools:
Christian schools must integrate a biblical worldview into every subject. Encourage service projects, leadership training, and character formation education. Employ teachers who model Christ in conduct and compassion. Celebrate children who demonstrate moral and ethical values to encourage all others.
Society:
Advocate for child education, spiritual wellness, and protection, but not rites that destroy their formation, in national policies. Support organizations that nurture vulnerable children with Christ-centered care. Use media and arts to promote values that uplift children toward purpose, but that which saturates the mind to explore sex and drugs.
Conclusion:
Beloved, our mission is not complete until the next generation knows why they are on earth, who they belong to, and what they must live for. Preparing children for mission is not optional; it is obedience to God and investment in eternity.
The Church of tomorrow will be what we prepare it to be today. Let us not fail our children. Let us raise them up, rooted in the Word, formed in character, and driven by purpose, to be witnesses of Jesus Christ in their generation.
“Our children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be their peace (Isaiah 54:13). They shall not be ashamed of the Gospel. They will rise as arrows in the hand of the Lord: sharpened, sanctified, and sent forth for the mission of Jesus Christ!”
Shalom aleikhem...
