Let's Parent on Purpose
August 20, 2023
Ep. 343: Discipling Your Family Through Missional Living with Josh Gardner
What if your family’s pursuit of Jesus takes you in the opposite direction of The American Dream? Josh Gardner and family sought to obey Jesus by intentionally moving closer to a lower income housing development, befriending their community, and becoming an incarnation model of the gospel of Christ.
Josh and his family had been serving in a traditional church setting when he and his wife felt the burden to live more intentionally missional. They initially left Stuart, FL for a discipleship role in Anderson, SC. As they settled in the community, the Lord continued to put the hurting and broken in their path. Over time, the Gardners ministry began to focus on a lower income apartment complex in South Carolina. While incredibly challenging, the Gardners experienced the joy of their children becoming teammates in their efforts to make disciples in their community. They gained trust among people who would normally look at them with suspicion, and they became valued members of a community often plagued by poverty, crime, and loss.
Josh’s story of faith is not one where it all worked out neatly. There was massive stress, heartbreak, loss of safety and comfort, and the loss of a normal support network of Christian friends. At the same time, the Gardners were able to live on mission as a team, know Jesus more deeply, and see fruitful disciples in an area that is often overlooked by the traditional church.
Listen to Josh’s story and listen to how Jesus might be calling your family to live with sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom.
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About Let's Parent on Purpose
Let's Parent on Purpose is a weekly podcast designed to strengthen your marriage, parenting, and personal relationship with Jesus. Host Jay Holland provides examples from God's word, real life success and failure stories, and lots of humility from his 20+ years of student ministry, parenting, foster parenting, and counseling others. Each episode you'll receive an insight or interview that will help you thrive, not just survive your parenting years.
You can find more from Jay at LetsParentOnPurpose.com or follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
About Jay Holland
Jay Holland is a follower of Jesus, a husband to Emily, and the biological and adoptive father of four children. For more than two decades Jay has served as a pastor in family and student ministries, and has walked through multiple special needs challenges within his own family.
Jay’s personal and pastoral experiences led him to launch the weekly Let’s Parent on Purpose podcast to equip and empower moms and dads to build thriving families. He serves at Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church in Stuart, Florida and is also on the board of Hopegivers, a ministry that cares for children and churches in India.
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