Here is my rough summary and paraphrase of the breakout session with Sally Michael. She and her husband, David, currently serve as the directors of Parenting and Children’s Discipleship at Bethlehem Baptist Church located in Minneapolis, MN. Sally is best known for her her role in writing curriculum for Children Desiring God.
For more coverage of the 2010 Connecting Church & Home Conference visit our summary page. You can listen to audio from this conference on the Southern Seminary website.
In her breakout session, Sally taught on the spiritual impact mothers can have on their children and the importance of making disciples out of your children. Her love for the Gospel and her passion for mothers to lead their children to the Lord were evidenced throughout the time she shared. When speaking about the importance of sharing the Gospel with little ones, Sally would tear up and the emotion she expressed taught me more than words could possibly communicate. Her passion for mothers to take their role seriously encouraged me and made me realize the importance of investing in moms and helping them to impact their children with God’s Word.
One thing Sally really stressed was the importance of mothers daily investing time in God’s Word. Understanding that a mom can keep a hectic schedule and barely have time for herself, Sally still remained firm that moms must take time to read God’s Word, pray, and memorize Scripture. She stated that it is vital that mothers be shaped by the Word of God, and not by the world and its standards. Sally stated that mothers are ambassadors and they can share a key role in reconciling their children to God. This great responsibility calls mothers to be authentic in their relationship with God and to rely on Him for help in rearing their children. Because mothers ultimately have the responsibility of preparing their children for the Day of Judgment, it is vital to begin teaching children about God when they are young. Daily conversations about God and His Word should be incorporated throughout the day.
Sally reinforced that this is why it is so vital that moms be saturated in the Word of God, so that the overflow will result in teaching their children throughout the daily routines. It is important to teach preschoolers about God’s character and His love for them, and this can easily be done when playing, eating, or getting ready for bed. When reading through Bible stories, she encouraged mothers to stop and talk about why God performed this miracle or why He intervened in this story. It is important for children to understand that God had control in the Bible story and that He had a plan. It is vital for mothers to take their role of raising their children seriously and understand that God has given them the opportunity of introducing them to the things of God. Mothers have the great task of discipling their children and make an impact on their children’s relationship with Christ.