Friday, February 26, 2010

Discipling Your Children: The Power of Influence


"God has designed your family—not the youth group, not the children’s ministry, not the Christian school, but your family—as the principle discipling agent in your children’s lives."

- Voddie Baucham


It is virtually impossible to fully disciple your children if someone else has them for the majority of the time... particularly when you have little to no control over the influences that they will encounter during that time. This is a lesson that I have been steadily learning over the past year.

This time last year: We were attending a larger, age-segregated church. The kids were attending a very worldly Christian school, full of bad influences from students (and sadly, a teacher or two).

Today: We have been attending a small, family-integrated church for the past ten months. After five months of the kids attending a tiny, very conservative fundamental Baptist school (which was for the most part a very positive influence in their lives), we are now doing what you might call a cooperative homeschooling effort with my pastor and his wife until I can leave my job in May and be home full time.

The combination of leaving the worldly influence of the Christian school and leaving the youth group scene has worked wonders in the lives of my niece and nephew, and has changed our family forever!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keep it coming!

Bridget said...

Well said Vikki! BTW... so very glad you all started coming to our small but might church :-)

Sherry said...

Great post Vikki! This was very encouraging to hear! God's ways always work! It's so exciting to see the changes he makes in our lives when we do things his way! I haven't had a chance to tell you that I'm so proud of your courageous decition to quit your job and be a "keeper at home" and to homeschool. I'm sure you have and will recieve some persecution for your stand to follow the Lord and his word in this area! But he will be faithful to bless you and help you! I also admire you for loving your niece and nephew as your own children and being willing to give your heart and life to them! You and Bridget have this in common! You have been given a great ability to love. So honored to be your friend!

Vikki said...

Vic~ Thank you for the encouragement! :)

Bridget~ I am glad also!! I'm so glad to be a part of our little church family. :)

Sherry~ Thank you so much!! That really means so much to me!