Building Strong Disciples, One Conversation at a Time
Frederick Douglass once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” That timeless truth captures why family discipleship matters so much for the mission of the church. If we want to raise up resilient, faith-filled disciples, the best place to begin is in the home.
When most of us think about church planting, our minds go to launch teams, sermons, and outreach events. But one of the most powerful disciple-making engines God has already designed is the family. Scripture calls parents to be the primary disciplers of their children. From Deuteronomy’s call to “impress these words on your children” (Deut. 6:6–7) to Paul’s reminder for fathers to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4), the biblical pattern is clear: discipleship begins at home.
The reality is that many Christian parents feel ill-equipped for this task. They may faithfully bring their kids to church but struggle to know how to talk about faith around the dinner table, at bedtime, or while driving to school. Too often, churches unintentionally reinforce the idea that discipleship happens only in the building rather than around the kitchen table.
As church planters, we have a chance to shift that narrative. By equipping parents to weave faith into everyday life, we multiply disciples far beyond Sunday mornings. When families embrace their calling as everyday disciple-makers, the ripple effects can transform not only their homes, but entire communities for generations.
This month, we want to encourage and resource you to help families in your church plant embrace their calling as everyday disciple-makers. Enjoy!
-Patrick Bradley, Director of Operations
October 2025 – Content
- Equipping Parents
- Inspiring Voices for Family Discipleship
- Tools for Parents: Conversations Guides & Blueprints
- Simple Family Discipleship Ideas
Equipping Parents
Equipping parents to disciple their children is one of the greatest opportunities—and challenges—facing church leaders today. Many parents feel ill-equipped, unsure how to talk about faith at home beyond attending Sunday services. D6 HomePointe helps bridge that gap by providing churches with a customizable, turn-key resource center designed to inspire and equip families. With HomePointe, churches don’t need to reinvent the wheel; they gain access to practical guides, conversation starters, and age-appropriate resources that empower parents to lead spiritually in the home.
What makes HomePointe especially valuable is its simplicity. It’s not about adding another heavy program to the church calendar—it’s about creating natural, sustainable ways for families to integrate faith into everyday life. Whether it’s mealtime discussions, bedtime prayers, or car-ride conversations, HomePointe equips parents with tools to disciple their kids in real-life moments. For church planters, this means multiplying disciple-making families from day one, ensuring the mission of the church begins where it matters most: at home.
Inspiring Voices on Family Discipleship
Want to dive deeper into how churches can equip parents to disciple their kids? Check out these two excellent podcast episodes:
- Intentional Family Discipleship in Your Church (The Disciple Maker’s Podcast) – Jay Austin unpacks how churches can empower parents to be the primary spiritual influencers in their homes, building intentional rhythms that last.
- Making Family Discipleship Work (Influence Magazine Podcast) – Dr. Brian Dembowczyk explains why many parents struggle with discipleship and how churches can practically equip and encourage them.
These episodes provide both biblical perspective and practical ideas you can put to work in your church plant.
Tools for Parents: Conversation Guides & Blueprints
Parents are often eager to disciple their children but feel unsure about where to begin. That’s why resources that make family discipleship simple and practical can be such a gift. Two tools from Renew.org are especially helpful for church planters who want to equip families for everyday disciple-making. Real Life Theology Conversations provides parents with a guide to essential theological questions, offering simple explanations and conversation prompts that spark meaningful discussions about faith in the home. Renew is also offering free resources to help you launch a family discipleship campaign at your church. Download your free launch packet today!
Alongside RLTC, Family Discipleship Blueprint offers a clear, year-by-year roadmap that helps parents intentionally disciple their kids at every stage of growth. Together, these resources give families confidence and structure for weaving faith into daily rhythms. For church planters, they provide a ready-made way to put disciple-making in the hands of parents, multiplying the impact of the church far beyond Sunday mornings.
Simple Family Discipleship Ideas
Family discipleship doesn’t have to be complicated—it’s about weaving faith into the everyday moments of life. The Navigators define it as the intentional and ongoing process of leading your family to know, love, and follow Jesus together at home. To help parents step into this role, they’ve created a library of free resources designed to make discipleship practical and doable for families of all ages and stages.
From conversation guides and Scripture memory tools to practical ideas for praying and reading the Bible as a family, these resources equip parents to model faith and invite their kids into spiritual practices in ways that feel natural and sustainable. Whether you’re a church planter looking to resource parents or a parent wanting fresh ideas for your own home, the Navigators’ free discipleship tools are a great place to start.
Explore them here: Navigators Family Discipleship Resources