Missional Motherhood Month (2)

November is missional motherhood month - the idea being that you can send me examples of ideas you've had for how to live out a Great Commission mindset in your life as a mum, or ways in which you've seen other women doing it.

The second story for this year comes from Jenny Kemp, who has her own blog which I have in my reader and find very encouraging. She's written down a few reflections at the end of a year in which she and her husband decided to get a bit more serious about involving themselves involved in the local school and pre-school communities:

I would just like to say that neither myself or my husband would ever say we are great evangelists. We are pretty hopeless to be honest. But we trust that God is a big God who can work despite our weaknesses. Plus you have to be 'in it to win it' (as they say!).

We have five children and three of them currently attend our local public school. Next year we will have four kids at the same school and our fifth child will attend the local preschool.

Last year my husband and I both felt that this was the time of life to get involved with the local community and build on all the contacts we were making through our children and their friends. This window of opportunity will not be open forever.

So this year my husband became the secretary of the school P&C and I volunteered as the secretary of the community preschool (being secretary is now an area of speciality for our family!).

My husband has a busy job in full-time ministry and finds it hard to make connections with the other parents. I find it easier being there each day to pick up the kids (and manage their social lives). Entering into the school community and getting involved has meant that he has a reason to talk to the other dads. Going to the working bee on a day where the rain was pouring down, shoveling woodchips around the school gardens with five other dads, earned him lots of credibility. The parents on the P&C respect him because he's getting involved with what they care about. And if there's anything Christians can do, it is serve others. We've had lots of practice doing that!

We don't know how God is going to use our family. We trust that he will use our efforts. I strongly believe that we are to be salt and light in a dark world. I think the way we live our life is a huge witness. But we have to be involved in the world so that people can actually see that.

A few weeks ago we were invited to go camping for the weekend with three families from school. None of them know Jesus yet. We were really excited to go (even though they were a little apprehensive about how kooky we might be!). Did we have any big conversations about Jesus? No. Did we talk lots about politics, raising kids, values and juggling life and work? Yes. Did we get comments about how well our kids respected us? Yes. I count all those as small steps in those people coming to know what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus.

Do you know what the biggest tension for me has been in getting more involved with unbelievers? That we don't have as much time for church programs. But as I said at the beginning. This is a short window of opportunity. And we're keen to grab it and trust that God will use it for His purposes and glory.

If you'd like to share a story - please email me.