“The local church has adopted the language of our education system, but not the practices,” Rev. Jeremy Bannister shared at the Discipleship Begins at Home online conference.

Think about it: our schools have clear academic standards, sports teams run regular practices with conditioning, and every extracurricular activity has accountability built in. But when it comes to discipleship — the actual following of Jesus — the same clarity, structure, and measurable growth often isn’t there.

As leaders in the local church, we are called to equip the saints — helping followers of Jesus grow strong and reproduce their faith so that the world is transformed through transformed disciples.

And on the front lines? Parents and grandparents.

They know the goal: for their kids to love Jesus with their whole hearts, for their whole lives. It’s our role as Christian educators to give them tools, developmental benchmarks, and a realistic picture of what it takes.

Here’s the truth we have to tell:

• One hour of Sunday School will never be enough to build a resilient faith for the other 167 hours of the week.
• Most curricula focus on “God made you” and “Jesus loves you” — wonderful truths, but repeated without deeper engagement year after year, they don’t prepare kids to face a loud and angry culture.
• Many parents and grandparents haven’t been discipled themselves with clear standards, commitments, or practices that build spiritual confidence for the long haul.
• Our own discipleship must grow stronger. We need to model holy habits: systematic Bible reading, tithing, serving, having meaningful conversations, asking good questions, and staying rooted in Christian community — not just because our jobs require it.

We must ask ourselves: If every disciple of Jesus was just like me, what would God’s kingdom look like on earth?

Here’s the good news: now is the perfect time to restart.

• Find an accountability partner and begin reading the Bible systematically. Once kids can read chapter books, they can read a chapter of the Bible. Begin with Luke — a clear, narrative account from Dr. Luke’s interviews with eyewitnesses. Use an easy-reader Bible and simply read aloud.
• Explore resources from The Next Generation Ministries — their Discipleship for Life plan gives age-by-age holy habit practices from birth onward. There’s also a 5-year plan for older kids, teens, and adults who want to intentionally start (or restart) their discipleship journey. These are in our Family Resource Center.
• Grow into regular, systematic tithing — prayerfully decide together as a family what that looks like.
• Co-lead a small group Bible study — pairing with someone older, younger, or in a different life stage to grow together in relationships, Scripture, and accountability.
• Offer parents and grandparents clear, doable discipleship metrics — daily Bible reading and prayer, weekly fellowship and giving, monthly service — along with conversation prompts to make faith a natural part of life. Launch it with a Parenting with a Purpose class, then follow up with a simple, “How’s it going?”

So, how is it going? The invitation is here. The tools are ready. The time is now. Let’s equip the saints to grow resilient disciples — at home and in community — who robustly follow Jesus for life.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12