Six Ways For Families To Join God's Global Plan
Small Investments
“Your kids have asked me better questions than most adults.” The visiting missionary shook her head in surprise, then smiled at me across the dining room table.
My family was hosting a missionary our church supported. Over dinner, my children had a chance to hear about her ministry and ask questions. Joy sprang up in my heart like a bouncy ball. Their interest in another culture wasn’t an accident. I cast a simple vision for how we—my kids included—have a part in God’s global plan and now it was spilling out during a dinnertime conversation.
Over the years, I’d found pockets of time in our family rhythms—like the drive to school, mealtime, or bedtime routines—to foster a heart for the nations and teach my kids how God is a God for all people groups (Isa. 49:6). Somehow God multiplied these small investments to develop a global perspective in my children.
Cultivating a Heart For the Nations
In Psalm 47, we’re reminded how the Lord is “a great king over all the earth” who deserves praise from all nations (v. 1-2)). We also catch a glimpse of God’s vision to gather people from all ethnicities as his own through Abraham. The Lord’s plan is to bless the world through his people (v. 9).
This global plan isn’t only found here. Throughout Scripture, we see how God desires all people to know and worship him (Gen. 12:3, Deut. 32:43; Ruth 2:12; 2 Sam. 22:50; Ps. 57:9, Isa. 2:2, Jon. 4:11; Mal 1:11; Matt. 1:15; Luke 2:10, Acts 10:35; Rom. 11:12; Eph. 1:15-23; Rev. 5:9).
Since God cares about this, so should we. Our families can play a vital role in God’s global plan even without leaving our local communities. We can fulfill our role as the primary disciplers of our kids and guide our families in cultivating a heart for the nations. And it doesn't have to be time-consuming.
Making His Name Great
Here are some ideas for how our families can be a part of making God’s name great among the nations.
1) Read international children’s literature.
“Our families can play a vital role in God’s global plan even without leaving our local communities. We can fulfill our role as the primary disciplers of our kids and guide our families in cultivating a heart for the nations.”
Cultivate a love for cultures and people we may never meet by reading quality international children’s literature. If you regularly read together with your children, sprinkle in an international kid lit book from time to time. Through the pages of these stories, we can glimpse what life is like in a new place, expand our understanding of the world, and learn how to better pray for the gospel to transform communities thousands of miles away.
2) Adopt an unreached people group (UPG).
An unreached people group (UPG) is made up of individuals who from the time they’re born, until the day they die, don’t have access to hear who Jesus truly is. Be a part of interceding on their behalf for the good news of the gospel to reach them. This goes beyond reading a prayer guide! Dive deeply into learning about the language and culture of the people group. Ask questions about how missionaries share the gospel, what discipleship looks like there, and how persecution impacts the lives of believers.
Check out books from the library about that culture or worldview, and create a regular rhythm to pray for the UPG as a family—whether that’s on the way to a sports practice, before bed, or during Sunday lunch. A couple minutes of intentional prayer each week matters, and can reflect God’s heart for the world to our kids (plus this desire may grow as you develop a consistent practice over time!). A great starting place to select an UPG to adopt is Joshua Project.
3) Look for different cultures in your community.
Even in my small town I’ve noticed small, golden Buddha statues at cash registers of a nail salon, local restaurant, and donut shop.
Be intentional to look for people who may come from a different culture in your community or county, then look for ways to cultivate a genuine friendship with these folks. Whether that’s inviting a classmate over for a playdate or regularly visiting a business to develop a relationship with the workers over time as a family, we can grow in caring about those from other worldviews. Additionally, use these moments to talk with your kids about the differences observed and then pray together.
4) Host an international high school student.
Opening your home to host a high school student for a meal, semester, or entire school year will expose your family to someone from another culture in a personable way. This can be a natural incentive to learn more about the culture of your host student because you have an expert in your home to share stories, recipes, and experiences.
5) Introduce kids to God’s global plan.
By the time a child reaches age 13, their worldview has mostly been formed. This underscores the importance of laying a biblical foundation in our children and teaching them how Jesus is for all peoples and cultures—he’s not just a God for Americans (Isa. 49:6).
Engage kids with God’s global greatness and his desire for all peoples to treasure him by walking through Scripture together. Read Genesis 12:3, Psalm 96:10, Malachi 1:11, Luke 2:30–32, and Revelation 7:9–10 to show your family an overview of God’s global plan to redeem a people for himself from all nations.
Highlight God’s desire for every people group to know and worship him. Train your kids to look for key words like “nations,” “peoples,” “families of the earth,” and “all the earth” as they read the Bible. When you see these phrases (and similar ones), point your kids to the big picture of God’s global plan for all peoples to bring him glory. Via Nation’s Parenting with a Global Vision: Responding as a Family to God’s Invitation is a great resource for parents to develop a biblical foundation for missions, and is a great starting point for exploring this scriptural theme together.
6) Adopt a missionary from your church.
Decide to partner more closely with a supported worker from your church. Have their newsletters directly delivered to your inbox, commit to pray for the requests shared each week as a family, and let the missionary know you’re tracking alongside them in this ministry. When the supported worker is stateside, invite them over for a meal to deepen your partnership, and connect your family in a tangible way to God’s work around the world.
Wherever you’re at in your faith journey, let’s be intentional about participating in advancing God’s kingdom around the globe. May we catch a vision for God’s greatness and lean into ways our families can step into his worldwide plan together in simple, but meaningful ways.
Jenny Marcelene lived cross-culturally for six years. She loves exploring new cultures and encouraging families to treasure Jesus above all else. She just released her debut children's chapter book series, The Dreamer (To the Ends). She worked as a Kids' Ministry Coordinator for her local church—which catapulted her into writing for young readers. When she’s not chipping away at a fiction book, she writes and edits non-fiction articles. Jenny and her husband have two kids and attend Sierra Bible Church in California. Connect with Jenny by visiting her website or on Instagram.