Benefits of a Ministry Mindset

My family is what is called “a ministry family.” That means that since I’m a pastor, service in the church and Sunday attendance is simply the default choice for our family. My two boys understand this in a deep way: if a school or social event interferes with church, church has the non-negotiable priority.

This might seem like a burden, but actually it is the greatest of blessings. The enormous spiritual benefits of regularly doing godly habits come on the far side of consistent, long-term commitment. In the short-run, it will often feel like a loss. You will often wonder: Why am I doing this? I'm not getting anything out of it.

Children are especially influenced by the rhythms and priorities of our lives. The sobering statistic is that about 70% of children "drop out" of church when they go to college or join the workforce. The single greatest factor that shaped their decision was observing the spiritual priorities of their parents. That is both a wonderful encouragement and a warning. The single greatest inheritance we can pass down to our children is to show them a life of passionately following Jesus.