Family Missions Trip – A Discipleship Opportunity

By Ps Vernon Quek

Last week, three families from the 430 Congregation – the Foo, Quek and Shi families – brought our eight children to visit the Christian Home of Love in Fang District, three hours north of Chiang Mai.

The goal of this mission trip was different to most: it was to disciple our children (age 2 to 9 years old) by exposing them to what following Jesus looks like in other cultures and contexts. The fathers took turns to lead the group in devotions each morning: memorisingPsalm 121 and opening up God’s Word. We engaged the children about what they saw and heard: the similarities and differences between what happened as the believers in Northern Thailand gathered compared to what we as a church family do each time we gather here in Singapore.

This wasn’t the first Zion Bishan mission trip where parents have brought children along with them. Although there were challenges to organizing such a trip, our desire is that it becomes the norm for families at Zion Bishan to bring even young children on mission trips, to grow their hearts as early as possible for all people groups across the world to know Jesus.

If you are a parent, would you consider using such trips as an opportunity to disciple your children? Speak to myself or any of the families that went if you’d like to find out more – we’d love to tell you more in person about the challenges and joys of the trip. There are also some parents planning to bring their children on trips at the end of this year – Sharon or your congregation pastor will be able to give you more details if you’re interested in joining these or any future trips.

For the rest of us, let’s encourage and support families to take this opportunity, especially those who might be intimidated at stepping out of our comfort zones this way. 

Let us pray that the culture of including our children in our desire to #GetSent grows in Zion Bishan, and that we’ll see the next generation grow in their love of Jesus and His Name going to all the earth!