Episode #58 | How to Reach the Next Generation for Christ | Featuring Dr. Jeff Baxter

#58 – Raising the Next Generation To Grow With Jesus 

Guest:  Dr. Jeff Baxter 

Act Like Men – Men’s Leadership Podcast

Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Catalyst

Podcast Show Notes 

Dr. Jeff Baxter is the NexGen Pastor at Mission Hills Church in Littleton, Colorado.  He is married, the father of three children, and on a mission to ensure his children know and follow Jesus.  He lives what he teaches by growing three adults who love Jesus as well as growing a legacy ministry in his role at Mission Hills Church.  

How do we grow the next generation to grow with Jesus?  We love Jeff’s open honest comment: 

“I share this content to let you know we have stumbled along the path of parenting.  We have not always seen things eye to eye as a couple, nor have we gotten it right with your kids, but we have worked it through and continue to do so.”   

That should make all of us feel better in terms of our mess-ups with our kids.  However, the comment that separates many of us from the others is:  But we have worked it through and continue to do so.  It is imperative as parents that we do not pull back but keep leaning until we somehow get it right.   Be encouraged and do not give up.  

The truth is parenting is hard.  It requires over-communication and creates levels of trust by being open and asking forgiveness when we mess up.   The long-term is the focus to build the foundation for the future, not just the now.  While parenting is difficult, being a kid is also very difficult.  Kids do want us to be their parents (the adults in the room) as they struggle with the emotional and anxiety challenges that our kids face.  It does mean we need to offer a lot of grace as we work through helping our kids move from childhood to adulthood.  

One of the challenges we face as parents is this.  Far too many men leave the parenting to the moms.  Early on the maternal instinct and influence is so critical.  As the kids get older they need our paternal instinct as men.  Yet with the drama that sometimes is a part of adolescence, we men can pull back to avoid being caught up in the drama.   That is the time that both girls and boys need our involvement.  It helps create their sense of identity as they now relate to the paternal parent, rather than the maternal.   Boys need to get their male identity from their fathers.  We dare not pull back in these times.   

Another key point is that we need to communicate love and acceptance for our children based on who they are – not based on their grades and their goals.  We often communicate how proud we are of them when they accomplish something – or make us parents look good.   It is all about the child and finding ways to love them as your child, not for their performance.  

Parents – we want to encourage you to stay strong in your process of raising Godly Adults.  Be real, be authentic, be the adult in the room and keep leaning in.  There is so many opportunities to model God’s kind of grace, while at the same time staying focused at helping our children become Godly adults.  We pray for you and your journey in helping not only impacting your kids, but their kids, and grandkids as well.    

Please reach out to Jeff and get his material to help you as you walk through the journey of moving your children to becoming Godly adults.  

To reach Dr. Jeff Baxter or any of his books, including the one we talked through today: Raising the Next Generation to Grow with Jesus, go to: jeffbaxter.org

For more: Vist https://mensministrycatalyst.org/podcasts/