If our job of passing our faith on to our kids is job #1 as parents, how is it that we wait so long to show them the reality of it? The substance of our faith is only proved when it is tested. Is it any wonder that most Christian young people lose their faith after leaving home?

Consider this: almost every day, our society teaches our children to grasp and clutch and satisfy their needs. Society is discipling them to be selfish.

As a parent this summer, don't be more concerned with your kids' safety and education than entrusting them with what Jesus called “true riches.” Don’t miss the opportunity to show your children the reality of their faith in ministry. Hey, if you can’t think of a place to minister, email me and we’ll set you up in New Orleans this summer. Or help out a local soup kitchen. They need to learn to minister.

Managing risk on mission projects

We are living in a risk-adverse society. Our efforts to minimize the risk in our lives are most obviously reflected in our legal system. For several decades, we've all seen a proliferation of law suits filed by plaintiffs who complain that they should not be held responsible for a risk they took. We are also the most-insured nation in the world. Consider the array of insurance options which most Americans feel are basic: health, life, disability, liability, automobile, home, and mortgage insurance. All attempt to minimize the risk inherent in living.

Some of the best things in life involve great risk. Getting to know someone at a deep level requires being vulnerable with that person. A whitewater rafting experience is thrilling because it’s risky. Crossing a busy intersection to get to a destination involves the small risk of being run over.

The risks involved in a short-term mission experience are many:

• The risk of a possible mishap while traveling
• The risk of being rejected while sharing your faith
• The risk of being vulnerable with your team
• The risk of contracting an illness or having an accident
• The risk of being unprepared to deal with culture shock

Against these risks, we must weigh the risk of not engaging in a short-term mission experience:

• Students will grow up with a narrow, self-centered world view.
• No one will share Christ with the lost.
• Students will inherit a lukewarm Christianity.
• Materialism will never be challenged.
• Students will live their lives as takers, not givers.