Disciple Like Jesus

For the past few months, I've been following and retweeting the Disciple Like Jesus tweets on twitter. More than other Christian ministries, I feel that they have something important to say to parents about raising godly kids.
Raising kids is a thorny issue, it seems, in Christian circles. Because we either find those who want to circle the wagons, disassociate from culture, and raise kids who love a type of Jesus but fear the world, or we find those who want to engage culture to the detriment of their kids.
I admit, I struggle with this in a big way. Taralyn and I have had many talks about where to send our kids to school. I've always been a big proponent of sending our kids "someday" to public school, where they can be salt and light to their classmates and teacher, and where perhaps even more powerfully WE as parents can become involved and show Jesus through relationships we build at PTA, field trips, and other involvements. This thinking was reinforced by the idea of Christian kids growing up NOT HAVING ONE NON-CHRISTIAN FRIEND. That idea troubles me. I think that if we are true followers of Jesus, then we MUST have non-Christian people in our lives.
However, Taralyn has pointed out to me that perhaps our area of witnessing and ministry doesn't have to come to us from 'throwing our kids to the wolves' - that it's our job to protect them, guide them, and be good stewards of them, including our choices on who they hang out with, who they learn from, and who otherwise influences them.
Both of these perspectives are true, and now that Caleb our oldest is going into Pre-School this fall, this becomes less a theoretical debate and more a practical step. I have found the encouragement from Alan Melton and Disciple Like Jesus to be fair, godly, missional AND protectionist. It's a good balance, a good blend, and I'm looking forward to reading the book they'll surely send me soon! ;)

Follow Disciple Like Jesus on Twitter @DiscipleLikeJesus
Find their website here: http://www.disciplelikejesus.com/blog/
Find out about their book giveaway contest here: http://www.disciplelikejesus.com/blog/?p=630