pastor's kids!

In the last month, I have had conversations with church planters' wives who have brought up the topic of raising pastor's kids.  They have asked about how we expect our boys to act.  I guess what really sticks out in my mind is that we want our boys to love God on their own not because their dad is a pastor.  I never want my boys to be sick of church, and so occasionally, I will pull them out of the second service and take them to starbucks!  We try to NEVER say, "You better be good because your dad is the pastor."  That, to me, is peer pressure.  That is caring what people say or think about you and acting to please other people.  I am teaching my boys to not worry about what people think.  You are to do right because you are YOU.  People who go about life trying to act a certain way to please others will never be able to please everyone and cannot be a great leader of people.  It is interesting to me that parents do not want their kids to be influenced by peer pressure and yet put peer pressure on them to convince them to be good!  I think that means, "I want everyone to think I am a good parent, so please make me look good."  Kids are smarter than that!

 We are however, focusing on the word APPROPRIATE.  We want them to make choices about how they act or what they wear or say, NOT because their dad is a pastor but because they consider what is appropriate.  My kids are WILD and very normal.  I am trying to teach them to be humble and respectful to adults, to put others first at church and be a friend to someone who is alone. We make a big deal about the family coming before the church, and Brian models that to them by spending time with them, and telling them that they are more important than his work at church.  Until we showed a recent video of our boys, many people did not know who they were. They enjoy being one of the students and hopefully God is working in their hearts to draw them to Himself, in spite of the fact that they are the pastor's kids!