Children are hard-wired for imitation and learn most about life in their early years — for better or worse — by reflecting their (gulp!) daddy.

Oftentimes, the mission of God doesn’t seem to match our conveniently constructed models. In Acts 8:26-40, we catch a glimpse of how God brings about what He has promised is going to happen in Revelation 5:9-10. God orchestrated circumstances in such a way that Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch met on a desert road to bring about His will, and He continues to do so today for the same purposes. But we also see some things about this mission that are often missed, or even rejected, in the West. In this passage we see four realities regarding the mission of God that must be embraced in order to stay faithful to the mission.

As a children’s minister, I excelled at checking off my daily to-do list. If someone needed markers, tape or Goldfish, I was the one to call. As I reflect on the years I spent on a church staff, one major downfall I admit is the lack of vision I had. Having a vision would have required me to occasionally look up from my to-do list to see if I was headed in the right direction. Having a vision would have required me to recognize my “why” in ministry and remember it.

As Southern Baptists, we are being called to ask ourselves a question: “Who’s Your One?” Who is the one person you can pray for, build a relationship with and have an ongoing gospel conversation with? Who is one person you can focus on who needs a saving relationship with Jesus Christ? If you are a parent, grandparent or children’s ministry leader, your “one” may very well be a child. If this is true for you, here are some tips for sharing the gospel with the children in your life.

During the process of reaching the community around us, we must each move from thinking like a missionary to engaging like one. While it can be intimidating to make the transition from theory and strategy to actually entering the lives of people, it is well worth it. To make this transition, there are four characteristics we must embrace.

In the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, Haitian hurdler Jeffrey Julmis shot out of the blocks quickly, only to hit the first hurdle and fall to the ground. While certainly embarrassed, Julmis could have easily walked off without completing the race. Instead, he got up and finished, successfully jumping over the remaining hurdles. That hurdle did not stop him from finishing the race — that’s what he was there to do.