D-Ship 2

So what I am advocating here,

Last post I gave a historical background on D-Ship. I discussed what it's not (not just Sunday night topical classes, or working through workbooks) and now it is time to tell you what it is.

Once again, I need to reiterate that I am getting much of this material from antiquity, a modern writer, Robert Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism, my personal discipling of others, and being discipled as well.

This is extremely important to the passing on of the faith. First and foremost, discipling of the family needs to happen. Fathers, you need to lead your families in the ways of the Lord. Mothers, you need to disciple your children, not just when they are young, but also when they are tweens, teens, and young adults. This happens at all levels of life.

So how do you disciple someone, either in your family or outside of it?

In your families, discipling needs to happen by example first and foremost. If we want our children to read their Bibles on a consistent, ongoing basis, than we need to be modeling this action for them. Fathers, when you do your quiet time, do it at a time when your children will be around. Do it in your favorite chair, in the living room, or at the kitchen table. Mothers, same deal. Have your children see you read your Bibles. When you are reading, or after, tell them what you are reading and what you are learning, in a real, authentic, natural sort of way. Prayer: pray in the evenings or in the mornings when your children are around, mother and father, both together and separately. Pray audibly so that if your kids are wandering in and out of the room they can hear and see you doing so. This goes to all sorts of ways of praising the Lord, fasting, meditation, singing songs of praise, etc.....
This is not just limited to two parent homes, but is definitely also for homes of one parent. If you are in a single parent home, then you should incorporate these things into your daily routine and let your kids see what you are doing.

The place to start is by living it yourself and teaching your children without saying a word. Teach them by what you do and say, but also having those teach through moments with them that are so natural. I will tell you straight that if you do this, then incorporating a family prayer time and family Bible study time down the line will be much easier because they will have seen you do these things, and it would make much more sense to them...

A key part to this that must be emphasized for those two parent families that the mother and father are not divided on this but it is a collective thing. They are not only separately doing these things, but also as doing these things as a couple.

In my next post I will give suggestions for how to do a family devotional time.....