Authenticity in Parenting and Ministry

I’m often asked how my ministry impacted my kids when they were young. To that, I say that I had an amazing example in my parents, and especially my dad.

Bob Hoskins, founder of OneHope, wasn’t a missionary because it was his vocation. We saw his calling lived out. Time after time, during our family prayer time, I would see him weep over the nations. His calling was fresh to us every week. My own desire to reach the lost was birthed in my heart at a very young age and continues to this day because it wasn’t something my dad talked about or something he did. It was who he was.

My parents also included us in their ministry. To us, it wasn’t Dad who was in ministry; we were a ministry family. When Kim and I had children, we emulated their example. We gave our daughters ministry responsibilities of their own, assignments that challenged them and caused them to look to God for strength and courage.

Too often, children of pastors, ministers, and missionaries don’t see the authenticity of their parents’ calling lived out as the priority within their home. Their parents compartmentalize their lives, and their messages from the pulpit don’t hold sway in their weekday lives.

You can’t fake authenticity. If you want your ministry to have a positive impact on your children, you’ve got to be living with ardent sincerity every day.