How to Cultivate a Gospel-Centered Family

Want to build a gospel-centered family? There are MANY ways to do that, but here are what I would say are the top five places to start.

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If you haven’t noticed, throughout the month of October, I’ve been focusing on family. First, we had 10 Ways to Strengthen Family Bonds, then we had 10 Tips for a Thriving Family Bible Reading Routine and 15 Family Board Games for Your Next Family Game Night, and last week, we had Must-Read Chapter Books With Strong Family Relationships. Check out those blog posts if you missed them the first time around!

This week, I want to talk about how to build a gospel-centered family. As Christian moms (assuming you are one, if you’re reading this article), we are called to not only teach the gospel in our homes, but center everything around it. We are given the task of building our families with the gospel – that is, the good news of who Jesus is, what he did, and how that changes everything – in the middle of it all.

And while there’s an infinite number of ways to do that, I want to share my top five ways I am, personally, building a gospel-centered family.

What does it mean to be a gospel-centered family?

First, though, let’s talk for a minute about what it means to be a gospel-centered family. I don’t want to throw that term around without providing an understanding of what it is.

I’m sure there are many (probably better) definitions out there, but when I think of what it means to be a gospel-centered family, I think of these three elements:

The gospel (i.e. the good news of Jesus) is the core and foundation of our family life, shaping everything we do.
We live in the grace, peace, and joy of our salvation in Christ, which affects what we think, say, and do.
We recognize our purpose to build disciples, both in our home and beyond.

What would you add to or change about my definition? Share YOUR definitions of a gospel-centered family in the comments at the end of this post.

5 Ways to Cultivate a Gospel-Centered Family

There are many ways to cultivate a gospel-centered family, and anything you do towards that end is going to be good! That being said, here are what I would say are the top five places to start:

1. Be gospel-centered parents, first.

If we, as parents, want a gospel-centered family, it has to start with us. We have to live gospel-centered lives as individuals, first, before we can cultivate it in our homes. Being our kids’ spiritual leaders means we have to go first.

Not only that, our parenting needs to be gospel-centered, also! Again, that can look like a lot of things, but it certainly includes disciplining (think training, not punishing) with love and grace, building strong biblical foundations, and shepherding our kids’ hearts toward Christ.

One of my absolute favorite books for this is Paul David Tripp’s phenomenal book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. It is phenomenal and a must-read for Christian parents.

2. Develop a gospel-centered family mission.

After committing to living a Christ-centered life, yourself, the next step is to cast a vision for your family. What does it mean for your family to be gospel-centered, and what will that look like? Spend some time researching, reflecting, and praying, and then write out your gospel-centered family priorities. Create a mission statement that encapsulates your focus and what you will use as criteria for family decisions.

We recently created one, and while it’s perhaps a bit simple and needs further details, it’s easy for everyone (even my 4-year-old!) to remember and repeat.

OUR FAMILY MISSION:
Love God, love others.
Glorify God, serve others.

3. Create a family discipleship plan.

The next step in building a gospel-centered family is to make plans to purposefully progress in your discipleship to Christ. In his books, Dallas Willard often refers to discipleship as “apprenticeship to Jesus,” and I love that mindset. He also said that more than being simply a routine of religious activities, discipleship is “an orientation and quality of [our] entire existence.”

Of course, while the activities, themselves, are not the destination of discipleship, they are, in large part, the vehicle we take to get there. Which means, we need to be intentional about our family discipleship.

Family discipleship can look different from family to family, but three pursuits we should always include in our family discipleship plan are reading the Bible together, praying together, and worshiping together. For more ideas and tips, read my blog post How to Make a Family Discipleship Plan.

More Helpful Blog Posts:
7 Ways to Disciple Your Kids at Home
10 Tips for a Thriving Family Bible Reading Routine
How I Read the Bible to My Kids (to Teach Biblical Literacy)
How to Teach the Bible as One Continuous Story to Your Kids

4. Foster a service mindset

A truly gospel-centered family isn’t solely focused inward, however. It doesn’t just “look after its own.” It also looks outward, to the needs all around it. A gospel-centered family seeks to actively love its neighbors (and not just the geographical ones – Luke 10:29–37), share its blessings, and serve others.

An integral step in building a gospel-centered family, then, is fostering a service mindset in our kids. Encourage them to help whoever/whenever/wherever they can, point out and provide opportunities for them to serve, and make sure they see you serving!

5. Live out the Great Commission

The final (for listing purposes only – certainly not in importance!) way to cultivate a gospel-centered family is to live out the Great Commission. That is, making disciples of all nations. This involves sharing our testimonies, spreading the gospel message, fostering mentoring relationships, and getting involved with local, national, and global missions. It means we see every place we “do life” as a mission field – from our homes and our schools, to our cities and beyond. As we teach our children the amazing, transforming truths of the gospel, may we instill in them a desire to use their lives to share that gift with others.

Want to learn more about building a gospel-centered family? For a deeper dive, I highly recommend the book Gospel Family: Cultivating Family Discipleship, Family Worship, & Family Missions by Jonathan Williams.

SHARE WITH US: What are some other ways to build a gospel-centered family? Tell me in the comments below!

What does it mean to be a gospel-centered family?

5 Ways to Cultivate a Gospel-Centered Family

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