By intentionally learning about, supporting, and honoring missionaries, we can help our kids have a big-picture understanding of God’s faithfulness to build his kingdom around the world.

Discipling our children in the gospel means laying a foundation of both truth and grace—cultivating minds of conviction and hearts of compassion.

We don’t have to travel overseas or spearhead a formal missions project to powerfully serve “the least of these”—our own homes and families provide opportunities for fruitful gospel ministry too.

The lives of faithful mothers who have gone before us, like Amanda Berry Smith, can inspire and instruct us as we seek to serve God right where we are.

When we think of God as Father, we realize we can run to him freely and confidently—no matter the situation.

The conversations around the kitchen table may hold greater impact than you can imagine. Here are a few ways to shape minds and hearts while they’re still in your home.

When reading about Paul in the New Testament what comes to mind? A gifted missionary perhaps? Paul wrote letters to various churches, traveled from city to city, to the Jew and to the Gentile, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ!

As encouraging as this is, I can’t help but wonder what I have in common with Paul.

From the Chick-fil-A drive through to daycare pickups, from dirty diapers to spilled Cheerios, from grocery store trips to dance recitals, the life of a mama with kids seems very different from his.

Yet just like Paul, we have been given the same mission.

Simply put, evangelism is sharing the gospel or the good news of Jesus Christ. It can seem intimidating not knowing where to start or having the right words to say, but when Jesus gave us the great commission, he ended it with a powerful reminder as we seek to obey this command.

He reminds us that he will be with us always.

The first thing we can do is to pray that God would press onto our hearts people who he wants us to witness to.

Think about those who are around you that may not know who Jesus is. Prayer shows our dependency on God to give us opportunities to share the truth about him with those people whose hearts he has already been working in. We, the messengers, just need to be ready to share.

The second thing we can do is practice.

As often as I could, I started sharing the gospel with my one-year-old son who would, at worst, ignore me and, at best, clap at my feeble attempts. Reciting the full gospel out loud to my child gave me the opportunity to practice what I would say in a way that sounded natural.

We can allow an embarrassing moment to keep us from experiencing a powerful promise that follows after our obedience, or we can continue to press forward—placing one foot of faith in front of the other.

We’re not alone in this. As we begin to share our faith with others and teach them to know and follow Christ, we will actively see God working in our lives and in the lives of others.”