The Mission of Parenting (Smyth)

About

Thomas Smyth (1808-1873) was the pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Charleston, South Carolina, from 1834, just after he graduated from Princeton Seminary, until his death. He was a passionate supporter of missions, and desired all his church members to to labor for the spread of the gospel around the world. Originally entitled “The Duty of Interesting Children in the Missionary Cause,” Smyth charges parents to bring their children up with a missionary spirit and in a missionary practice. He lays out the means by which this desired goal will happen, and gives encouragement to his readers with a vision of how God has used and can use children to bring sinners to himself. Every Christian parent will benefit from Smyth’s words of exhortation.

Endorsements

"Smyth insists that the job of Christian parenting is not done until we have inculcated in our children a love for missions. Christian piety—Biblical piety—is fundamentally a missional piety. If the mission Jesus gave us really is as urgent as He insisted it was then it has to be taught, modeled, coaxed, prayed for, and challenged first of all among our children. I don’t know of another book like this one! May it inspire a new generation who will carry His Gospel to the ends of the earth!"

- Wes Baker,missionary with Peru Mission in Trujillo, Peru

"The Mission of Parenting is a tremendous reminder of the opportunity and stewardship we have as parents to raise kids who love God, love his word, and love the world. Inspiring a heart for the nations begins with introducing children to the missionary God of the Bible and his desire to be praised by people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. I encourage Christian families to reflect on these timeless insights from Thomas Smyth as a means of cultivating a missionary fervor in the hearts of the next generation.”

- Dr. Paul Akin, Dean, Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"The Mission of Parenting by Thomas Smyth is a timeless encouragement to parents to disciple their children toward participating in global missions. This is a wonderful resource for the church in helping to raise up the next generation of missionaries!"
- Dr. Lloyd Kim, Coordinator, Mission to the World, Presbyterian Church in America