My pastor recently asked me to participate in his message on Sunday by answering this question: Mark – You are a husband, a father and a grandfather, you have served in ministry with your wife, you have raised your kids and now they serve in ministry, you have grandkids now. How have you balanced serving and family, and what has been the impact on your family that you still see to this day?
Here is my response:
Thank you for this opportunity to share. As a husband, father, and now grandfather, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is the value of daily time with God, reading His Word, and being faithful to His house. My wife, Anna, and I prioritized having a healthy, loving marriage, fostering a peaceful home, praying daily for our children, attending church weekly, and involving our children in serving in God’s house.
We also made it a point to enjoy life with our kids, planning yearly holidays and family outings like sailing, house-boating, skiing, amusement parks, and camping. We were blessed to give them a broader perspective of God’s work around the world by taking them on mission trips to Africa, Europe, Asia, and the US.
At home, we encouraged our children to use their gifts and talents to glorify God and serve the church. We reinforced the importance of reading the Bible daily, attending and serving in their youth groups, loving the church, and being part of worship teams whenever opportunities arose.
Even after they grew up and moved out, we continued our tradition of weekly family dinners, where we kept the conversation positive about the church and its leaders. We celebrated their spiritual milestones, such as water baptisms, and prayer remained a key part of our family life, especially before meals. Our goal has always been to model what it means to follow Jesus, both in private and in public.
Today, we see the fruit of those efforts in the lives of our children and grandchildren. My daughter, who is married to a pastor, serves as a worship pastor at a large campus in Napa, California, and my son and his wife are part of the worship team and children’s ministry at their church in Toronto.
It’s a blessing to watch my 15-year-old granddaughter lead worship in her youth group, and my 13-year-old grandson play drums. We eagerly anticipate how God will work in the life of our 3-year-old granddaughter.
I love the words of the Old Testament Joshua when he declared, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” As grandparents, we believe deeply in authentically modeling God’s faithfulness, encouraging, and teaching our grandchildren. I now have the joy of teaching my grandkids piano and guitar weekly, and I can see the seeds of faith and service that were planted in our family through our commitment to loving and serving God.
I am deeply grateful for God’s faithfulness and how He continues to work in the lives of each of our kids and grandkids. He truly is a good, good Father.
