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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 purposes, 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 surrender to God's will.
And there's an unmistakable and contagious joy.
As you focus on God and His Great Commission, everything will be radically altered-including your thoughts about the world and those in need, your prayer life, your eating habits (including what things you're willing to "try"), your disciplines in health and fitness, your family's stewardship of faith and finances, and your decisions regarding your children's education. A missions mindset will impact-for eternity-your focus on the future.
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 to God (knowing that it's "under the surface" that counts!).
- 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). Ann is an international minister alongside her husband, Jon Dunagan, and a homeschooling mother of seven.
