80% of the world’s evangelical Christians live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Over the last 50 years, God’s church has grown exponentially in these areas.

These regions have tremendous mission sending potential to help bring the gospel to unreached peoples, but they currently send only 20% of the world’s cross-cultural missionaries!

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This infographic provides a visual score for seven data points ranked on a 0 to 100 scale. Faded icons show scores for other countries on the mobilization index. See below for actual scores and country-specific insights.

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Psalm 127:4 says children are like arrows. What do we do with arrows? We place them on a bowstring, pull them back, take aim and let them go. Where are you aiming your children? What is your target?
In talking with Christian parents, we&rsquo;ve discovered multiple targets. &ldquo;I just want peace and harmony in my home,&rdquo; one parent says when complaining about how her children fight. &ldquo;I am tired of doing it all,&rdquo; another parent says about the lack of help her older kids give her with daily chores. &ldquo;I am trying to help my children discover what they are really good at and areas where they can excel,&rdquo; explains a parent whose family rushes from one activity to the next. &ldquo;I want to have a family that enjoys being together later on,&rdquo; shares another parent.
None of these statements reflect bad desires and dreams for our children and family culture, but as believers, we should ask ourselves what God desires for our children and family. The answer to this question will determine how we teach, guide and lead them. If we want our children to become men and women who choose to follow Jesus for themselves, then the underlying goal of our parenting is discipleship.
Intentional discipleship that points our children to Jesus should become the harmonizing note that plays in the background of every teaching moment, every disciplinary response, every activity, and every conversation we have around the dinner table. What is discipleship?
Christian discipleship is a journey of spiritual growth where believers follow Jesus Christ and strive to live more like him. Discipleship helps a person grow from a spiritual infant in Christ, fed with spiritual milk, into a mature believer who consumes spiritually solid food (1 Corinthians 3:2).
What might this spiritual growth journey look like in everyday family life?
<ul>
<li>
singing and praying over your newborn baby as you feed or change him.
</li>
<li>
reading stories from a Bible board book to your toddler at bedtime.
</li>
<li>
playing with a child-friendly nativity set with your preschooler.
</li>
<li>
praying in the car when an ambulance or fire truck drives by.
</li>
<li>
playing worship music as you cook dinner together.
</li>
<li>
reading the Bible together each day.
</li>
<li>
praying together before bed.
</li>
<li>
discussing spiritual aspects of a movie you watch together.
</li>
<li>
digging into what the Bible says about a current cultural topic.
</li>
<li>
inviting a non-believing family for dinner to learn more about what they believe.
</li>
<li>
researching the spiritual needs of a country your children are learning about and praying together for people there.
</li>
</ul>
Whatever family discipleship looks like, it starts with two things.&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>
Parents prioritize their spiritual discipleship, filling their own spiritual &ldquo;cup&rdquo; first and then overflowing into their family&rsquo;s lives.
</li>
<li>
Parents view every aspect of child-rearing as discipleship&mdash;when siblings are fighting: discipleship moment&hellip;when kids whine about doing chores: discipleship moment&hellip;when making decisions about which activities your kids will do: discipleship moment&hellip; when someone is throwing a tantrum: discipleship moment.
</li>
</ol>
Family discipleship brings Jesus into every real-life moment and every decision our family makes, letting him become the main thread of our family culture. As parents, we can only do this if we have the spiritual seeds in our &ldquo;cups&rdquo; overflowing into those day-in and day-out family life moments.
Paul reminds us that in the discipleship process, &ldquo;I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 3:6) Parents, we are called to be faithful in the endeavor of planting spiritual seeds in the lives of our children and then trust God to be faithful to do his part.&nbsp;

Via Families

The Goal of Parenting is Discipleship

The Goal of Parenting is Discipleship

Alicia Bennett