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Balancing Evangelism and Family Life
My husband Alvin and I are young parents serving in our church’s evangelism ministry. We joined before we were married and knew this work was important. We saw how the early church grew by everyone preaching (Acts 8:4–8), and we wanted to be part of that. We didn’t want to be like some married couples who stop going to church after having kids. We talked about this before getting married and found friends who felt the same. We knew it would be hard, but with God’s help, we could serve Him as a family.
Before our daughter was born, I prayed I wouldn’t lose sight of God after becoming a mom. It’s not always easy. Sometimes we miss youth events because of the baby. But some things can’t be compromised, like Sabbath services (Deuteronomy 5:12). We take our daughter even when it’s tough. We want her to grow up knowing church is important. Balancing church and family take work. We plan, like waking up early to prepare meals so we can spend all day at church. We use a shared calendar to keep track of each other’s schedules and make sure we both get time for church activities. As Hebrews 10:24–25 states: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good work, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Alvin’s been involved in more areas of the ministry lately, like design and training. The workload can be tiring, but we remember we’re serving by God’s grace. We focus on planting seeds and participating, not just results. I used to do follow-up work with truth-seekers, but it’s harder with a child. Now I work with others to support them. They can do more where I’m limited, and vice versa. We don’t let limitations stop us from serving God in different ways.
Life will always have challenges, but Jesus is our example. He broke barriers to preach the gospel, and so can we. We can surround ourselves with people who share our faith and talk about preaching more. Hearing how others do it can inspire us to preach in our daily lives. For example, one member uses holidays as opportunities to talk about their faith. Saying “no” to celebrating because of your religion opens the door to explain more. People might think you don’t celebrate for cultural reasons, but it’s actually because of your faith. That’s the message we want to share.
We’re trying to raise our daughter with a “no shame” attitude about sharing her faith. We want preaching to be normal for her, not awkward. We encourage her to invite friends to church, and she even reminds us to turn off the car radio before the Sabbath. Her teachers say she tells her friends she goes to church after nursery. We hope these small things will build her courage to preach in her daily life.
There’s always more we can do for evangelism and balancing family life. It’s not just about saving others, but also about our own salvation. The Bible tells us how can people believe in someone they haven’t heard about? How can they hear without someone preaching? (Rom 10:14b) By taking a moment to speak up, we could have an eternal impact. God has placed eternity in people’s hearts, and we need to help them reach it through the gospel. When there is a willing mind, God helps us complete the good work (Philippians 1:6). The key to balancing holy work with having a young child is a heart of willingness. Where there is a will, God will make the way.
We warmly invite you to come to the Chicago True Jesus Church’s Fall Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation in September.
September 26-29, 2024
Thursday, September 26,2024 6:50PM to 8:10PM
Friday and Saturday, 27-28 September, 2024 9:00AM to 8:10PM
Sunday, September 29, 2024 9:00AM to 1:00PM
Complimentary lunch and dinner will be served.
Our church’s address is as follows:
True Jesus Church
4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
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In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.
Friday Evening Service: 7:50PM – 9:00PM
Saturday Morning Service: 10:50AM – 12:00Noon
Saturday Afternoon Service: 1:30PM – 2:40PM
Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org