Lead Like Jesus: Principles For Small Group LeadersSample

PARTNER WITH PARENTS (and nurture an everyday faith)

In Deuteronomy 6, we find the words of Moses as he addressed the whole nation of Israel—not just its leaders. And that’s an important distinction. He wasn’t just talking to the people in charge. He was talking to mothers, fathers, tent makers, and shepherds. He said that faith has to be maintained. It has to be tended to. It has to be given a place of priority, and it has to be given room to grow. Moses instructed the Israelites to talk with their children about God’s law, about His heart, and about how they shoud live. But we aren’t tent makers, former Egyptian slaves, or people lost in a desert. So what does this mean for us?

In our context, what Moses was saying is that there’s only so much that youth pastors and small group leaders can do to inspire faith. Day in, day out faith can be inspiredin church or small group, but it’sgrownin the home. It’s grown by parents and guardians. After all, even the best small group leaders aren’t the ones tucking children in at night, driving students to SATs, and imposing curfews. Those jobs belong to parents and guardians, and so does the job of growing a kid’s faith. It’s not enough to love kids. Loving their parents and guardians is a part of the process.

In Matthew 20, when James and John’s mother came up to Jesus to ask if her sons could rule with Him, Jesus didn’t laugh her off. Her question was bizarre, but she wouldn’t have asked it if she didn’t believe that Jesus was there for her too—not just for her sons. That’s why partnering with parents is so important. If you want kids and students to win, then you need to want their parents and guardians to win too. In fact, you need to do whatever you can to ensure it.

Questions:

Why do you think God cares about familyand what goes on in the home so much? And what are some strategic ways you can reinforce it for the sake of your few?

What doors between you and a parent that are currently closed do you feel could be opened with a little more intentional attention and love? Why should you bother to do this at all?