Creating Disciples as a Family
“What is your area of ministry?”
Ask this of a church planter, an evangelist, or a seminary professor.
But also ask this of a mom, a freelancer, or a child.
Many parents could answer that their area of ministry is the home. Raising and discipling children, getting to know neighbors, feeding their kids’ friends snacks after school––these are valuable areas of ministry that may not be formalised.
The home is a central hub of ministry because of Greater Europe Mission’s philosophy that families serve together. GEM doesn’t merely send individuals across the globe to multiply disciples and grow Christ’s church.
GEM sends families, not just the head of the household.
After a candidate orientation and commissioning, GEM presents both kids and their parents certificates of commissioning with the organisation. GEM doesn’t ask adults to decide between family and ministry. Instead, it sends families on mission together.
Rachelle Neal, GEM’s Vice President of Europe, passionately points out:
“I believe God knows each of us, and it is no mistake that the whole family is there––the wife, the husband, the children. He lovingly called the whole group of you. God doesn’t just send one, he sends the whole family.”
Being part of an organisation that recognises the value of families serving together means families are expected and allowed to figure out how to best care for each other and those around them. There are resources for parents, kids, and families––some existing and some being developed––because the entire family is important in the Kingdom of God.
Staying at home––as a parent, a homemaker, or a neighbor––is a valuable area of ministry.
Last year GEM introduced Impact Zones, including the “Home Focused” Impact Zone. GEM appreciates that many people spend much of their ministry time within their homes, among family and neighbours. They recognize the home is a place of discipleship and growing the global church.
Home Focused ministry doesn’t merely encompass stay-at-home moms but includes a range of people. This includes freelancers who work from home, stay-at-home dads, and parents who share the parenting and outside ministry responsibilities. Those who practice hospitality and good neighboring are also encouraged.
Giftings and responsibilities like cooking, administration, parenting, and homemaking are not less valuable because they happen at home, as opposed to out in the world or in the public eye. Often, these acts of services allow someone else to go out and serve in the church, community, or marketplace.
Those serving in Home Focused Ministry are deeply valued as people and affirmed as disciple-makers.
After Rachelle took on her role as Vice President of Europe, her family moved from North Macedonia to Frankfurt, Germany.
She describes how she wouldn’t be able to take on this role without the support of her husband Josh. He was the one spending hours a day helping their kids navigate public transport to and from school in their new city.
“That was really important because it frees me to do the things God’s called me to do in that moment. [My husband] sees that as ministry,” says Rachelle. “I do, too.”
Rachelle’s own experience is a picture of what it looks like to serve as a family. She describes how her husband’s role is essential to her own.
“I could not do what I do if it weren’t for Josh and what he does. And in the same way, when he’s out there, he could not do what he does if it weren’t for me,” Rachelle reiterates so clearly. Whether it is mom or dad, the one at home offers important stability and support for the whole family’s ministry.
GEM affirms what each member of the family does, both in and outside the home.
With an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation for the ministry of the stay-at-home spouse, Rachelle reflects GEM’s heart as well. If she could sit down with each person individually, she would lovingly affirm what they are doing at home. Rachelle wants to reassure them of their value and identity in Christ, whatever their season and capacity to serve inside or outside the home.
For moms grappling with a season of young kids or special challenges, Rachelle offers this reassurance:
“The home being in order is a really key thing [in ministry], and the stay-at-home-mom makes a lot of those things her priority. Each family has the freedom to figure out how to make those things happen.” This work of homemaking and discipling children is often behind the scenes, but shouldn’t be overlooked.
Greater Europe Mission, as an organization that values each member of the family, continues to shift its structures to reflect its beliefs, offering assistance, accountability, and affirmation to all those in ministry.
Do you want to be a part of nurturing a culture where the family is on mission together?
Do you want to join an organization that values, affirms, and supports each family member in their current season of life? Has God called you to home-focused ministry?
Inquire here to learn how your family can serve on mission together in Europe.
About the author: Emily Nichols lives in Manchester, England with her husband and two boys. Together, they serve their local church and disciple Iranians through hospitality and Bible studies.