Missional Parenting

My wife and I just had our first child. She's almost 2 months old now. As a result, I've been doing a lot more thinking about the daunting task of parenting. Several months ago I saw a title for a book that caught my eye - The Danger of Raising Nice Kids: Preparing Our Children To Change Their World by Timothy Smith (IVP, 2006). I purchased the book and have read most of it. The front cover says it all - a white, fashionably dressed, family of four standing in front of their stylish suburban home. The kids have bright smiles and appear well behaved.

Is this the American Christian Dream??

I don't just want to raise a "nice" kid that gets good grades and doesn't smoke pot. I don't wan't my goal for my children to just be: go to a good school, get a good job, marry a good spouse, and have "nice" kids. I want (to the best of my ability and with God's help) to raise my new daughter to "change her world." I want her to be a better missionary than I am. I want her to know the security of a mom and dad that loves her and a church community where she's safe and ultimately a Lord who has been a dwelling place throughout all generations (Ps. 89:1), but I also want her to know how to move adeptly in a culture that doesn't know God, how to be friends with someone who has a totally different worldview than her, how to go to parties where there are non-Christians and not feel totally awkward. I don't want to sacrifice my children, but neither do I want to shelter them. I want them to be missionaries who can critique and contextualize and bring the gospel to their world. I want my daughter to be as innocent as a dove, yet wise as a serpent (Mt. 10:16). And I want to parent in such a way that models this kind of missional mindset.

Everything must be missional. Including parenting.