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(K.I.D.) Kids in Discipleship Equips Parents

Posted on Sept 01, 2010

Deuteronomy 6 - Model of Discipleship.

Before God created government, before He created the church, before He created schools or pastors or counsellors, God created the family.
The family, this single, most important central unit in humanity exemplified in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the strongest spiritual influence a person will ever receive. But, Satan has made it his mission to slowly breakdown this unit.

While it seems by worldly standards that parents do not mean as much to their kids anymore, according to a 1997 study by the Barna Research Group, 78 percent of youth indicated that their parents had more influence on their decision-making than any other person in their lives. Another study in 2004 revealed that among Christians who embraced Christ before their teen years, half were led to Christ by their parents.

With more than 50 percent of Adventist youth leaving the church in their early 20s, according to Dr. Roger Dudley in Why Our Teenagers Leave the Church, something drastic needs to change. And, parents have the power to make it happen.

K.I.D. is a ministry dedicated to equipping parents to mentor their kids to be empowered disciples of Jesus now.

A child's prime example of who Jesus is—is not the church, but his/her parents. In Deuteronomy 6:5-7, God calls parents to, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

K.I.D. was founded in 2002 by Pastor Don MacLafferty as a ministry of the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church. It equips church congregations, parents, and key mentors to implement the Deuteronomy 6 model of discipleship.

Through K.I.D.'s intentional discipleship focus, parents/mentors and children experience life transformation by growing individually in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and with one another.

"Imagine your child hearing your voice when they're making a decision, those very important decisions that come in daily life," says Felicia Carter, parent and Footprints small group leader at the Duluth Seventh-day Adventist church. "And they hear your voice giving them Scriptures to give them strength and the guidance that they need to make the proper decision. You wouldn't want to miss an opportunity like that. That's what Kids in Discipleship will give you."

A disciple of Christ by definition is one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another; it is to be disciplined in Jesus Christ. True discipleship must be first exemplified in oneself before it can be modelled to another.

K.I.D. gives parents this opportunity by experiencing discipleship for themselves through 12 small group Bible studies called Footprints for Parents and Mentors which equip parents/mentors to be their child's primary spiritual mentor.

After going deeper in their own discipleship journey, parents/mentors along with their children go through a 24-lesson curriculum called Footprints for Kids which assist parents/mentors in mentoring their children in three specific areas: 1. Building Your Relationship with Jesus, 2. Knowing the Truth of Jesus, and 3. Sharing Jesus with Others. Families, as a unit, are empowered to use their gifts for worship, ministry, and mission.

Since its inception seven years ago, the K.I.D. ministry has made a tremendous difference in the lives of many families. God is calling His young people to His side, and He is calling parents to make a difference today and be the primary example of who He is to His children.

By Chris Mateo