I have the privilege of being a church planter’s wife, working mom of three, director of women’s evangelism, and most importantly, follower of Jesus. If I’m honest, I don’t do any of these things perfectly, but I’ve learned that when I stop trying to juggle everything in my own strength and lean into who I am in Christ, that’s where I find freedom. My identity isn’t tied up in how well I serve, how many boxes I check, or how tidy my home looks when people come over. It’s in Christ. And when I rest in Him, I can live out my purpose: knowing Him, loving Him, and making Him known.
That’s what evangelism is, really. Not a performance or a sales pitch. It’s not about “closing the deal.” It’s about making Jesus known in everyday moments of life. And if we want our children to live missionally, to share the gospel with boldness and joy, it starts with us showing them what that looks like—not perfectly, but consistently and authentically.
Here are six ways I’ve learned to creatively and naturally weave evangelism into our children’s lives.
- Start with Your Own Joy
This is foundational. If I’m going to teach my children about evangelism, I need to be in love with Jesus and the gospel myself. There are seasons when that joy feels distant, when ministry is heavy or I feel disconnected from the Lord, but I always go back to Psalm 51:12-13 that says, “Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. Then I will teach the rebellious your ways and sinners will return to you.”
That’s the order: first joy, then teaching. If the joy of our salvation has faded, we won’t have much to offer our children or anyone else. So, my prayer has become asking Jesus to continue restoring the joy of my salvation each day. When my heart is full of Him, evangelism becomes the overflow of my heart, not the overload of my to-do list.
- Make Evangelism Normal at Home
In our house, we talk about Jesus often but not in a scripted, formal way. It’s woven into our conversations. When something hard happens at school, we talk about how God is present in the hard. When celebrating a win, we talk about how God provides good gifts. When someone in our church family is hurting, we pray for them out loud.
We also discuss why we do what we do. Why do we spend time with people from church? Why do we invite others into our homes? Why do we wake up early on Sundays and help set up for church services? Because we want to love God and love people, and that’s what it looks like for us.
Our three children are under the age of 10. They may not grasp the full theology of the Great Commission, but they know it’s normal to talk about Jesus and to care about people’s eternity.
- Let Them See You Share
We bring our children along when we go to restaurants, when we serve, and when we hang out with friends from church. And we let them see us talk to others about Jesus. One of the simplest ways we do this is by praying for our server when we eat out. We’ll say, “Hey, before we eat, we’re going to pray. Is there anything we can pray about for you?” Our children listen. They see that bringing Jesus into a conversation isn’t weird; it’s natural.
We also try to go to the same places so we can build relationships with the staff there. Over time, our children begin recognizing names, remembering prayer requests, and even asking others questions of their own.
- Turn School into a Mission Field
Our children go to a public school just down the road from our house. As a family and as a church, we’ve looked for ways to serve the teachers and staff there. Sometimes that means providing breakfast on workdays, delivering care packages, or sending handwritten notes. Other times, it’s simply telling their teachers, “Hey, we’re praying for you.”
We don’t always know where their teachers stand spiritually, but we want to be a family that is available and known for our love. After our daughter was baptized, her teacher heard about it and followed up, opening a beautiful door for spiritual conversation.
You never know how God is working in the lives of those around your children. So as parents, we’re planting seeds.
- Tell the Stories of What God Has Done
Children need to see how real Jesus is, not just in a storybook but in your life. We often share with them when God answers a prayer, provides in an unexpected way, or gives us courage to speak up.
We also tell them about the times we have failed or been intimidated to speak up, like when I met a man on a run, and we began talking at a stoplight. I casually mentioned that I’d been praying and asked if he believed in God. He said no, but then he opened up about hard things in his life, and I was able to share how Jesus had carried me through similar struggles. I didn’t share the full gospel, and he didn’t come to Christ in that moment, but it reminded me how evangelism often begins with a simple willingness to start the conversation. That’s what we want our children to see.
- Involve Them in the Mission
Whether it’s inviting someone over for dinner, baking cookies for a neighbor, or packing school supplies for children in need, our children are involved. They carry the cookies, write the cards, and hand the bag to the teacher.
We want them to feel the joy of serving others, not because it’s a checklist, but because it’s who we are as followers of Jesus. Evangelism isn’t an event; it’s a lifestyle. And the earlier our children see that, the more natural it becomes for them.
My daughter recently shared at school that she’d been baptized and why. No one prompted her. It showed me that when our children are immersed in gospel conversations, they learn to start having them, too.
Final Thoughts
If you’re reading this and thinking you’re exhausted and don’t feel like Jesus is very good news right now, I want you to know that you’re not alone. I’ve been there. Ministry is hard. Life is heavy. There are seasons when the joy fades, but we don’t have to stay stuck.
Ask Jesus to restore your joy. Ask Him to make your heart tender again. Let Him fill you, so you can overflow to your children, your church, and your community.
And remember, God doesn’t need us, but He chooses to use us. That includes the messy, tired, overwhelmed versions of ourselves. What a joy that we get to join Him in the work He’s doing.
So, take the pressure off. Your job isn’t to save your children or anyone else. Your job is to be faithful—to make Jesus real and known in your home and to trust Him with the rest.
He is faithful, and He will do it.
Adapted from a recent episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast.