From the book “A People for His Name” by Paul A Beals
Through both attitudes and activities, moms and dads introduce their children to the world of missions as no one else can. Several methods may be used to create missionary interest in the home.
• Extending hospitality is a successful way to have children and teens give their first serious thought to missionary involvement. Many people on the field today can trace their first interest in missions to a visiting missionary who showed concern for them in their home.
• Parents can build meaningful prayer interest in missionaries into their family devotional life. Systematic prayer for missionary friends makes a lasting impression on young lives. Prayer can be particularized by using prayer prompters from the church, prayer cards, and current prayer letters received in the home.
• Visuals make missions come alive for the family. A prayer card bulletin board or album, curios from family missionary friends, maps, and a globe help children identify with missionaries they know. When a nine-year-old asks, “Where does Cindy live?” Dad can heIp find Brazil on the globe. This kind of geography lesson is not soon forgotten.
• Letters written to missionaries are a source of encouragement difficult to measure. Letters full of family news are like a cooling breeze to a busy missionary. And, of course, missionary response gives reality to names, places, and various facets of the work.
• A family can take on a special project for a missionary friend. Purchasing a piece of equipment, Christmas, anniversary, or birthday gifts, providing clothing for missionary children—all are concrete reminders that missionaries are people just like we are
• Some have found family missions interest highIy increased by participating in short-term missionary service. At any given time missionary families in supportive roles can be found in cross-cultural situations around the world.