Their legacy? Generational impact — at home and in India
Ben and Jen have been faithful partners of Mission India since the 1990s, but their hearts for generosity started even before that.
Growing up, Ben’s family excelled at giving generously of their time. He shares, “My parents taught me to live with an open hand because that is the way Jesus lived. We didn’t have much, but my parents were always giving of their time, talent, and resources.” His wife, Jen, found inspiration for generosity from a young age through the Church. She saw others experience joy in their giving and wanted to follow their example.
Once Ben and Jen got married and had five kids, they knew they wanted to carry the value of generosity into their own family. They felt that, as parents, they had a responsibility from Scripture to pass down this legacy. As their kids got older, Ben and Jen continued to discover how valuable this was. Ben explains, “We attended a generous giving conference that taught us to not be secretive in how we give but to include our kids in the decisions of where and why we give as a family.”
Even more important than communicating with their children about giving decisions, is communicating with Jesus. Prayer plays a significant role in Ben and Jen’s family giving, specifically when it comes to choosing where to give.
Jen shares, “When you seek God in prayer, He convicts in the area and steers you toward the path to where He wants you to give.” Through this process of devoted prayer, Mission India became that path for Ben and Jen.
It was in 2012 that Ben first went to India with his church. There, he witnessed firsthand the impact of investing resources in Kingdom causes. Soon after, Jen also visited India and experienced the same heart change as her husband. Together, they grew passionate about the work Mission India was doing and began to give of their resources generously.
Ben also desires that his kids get a firsthand look at the impact of investing Kingdom resources. He specifically hopes to do so by bringing each of them to India one day!
But, sharing your heart for missions and generosity with the next generation can be done in other ways, too. You could serve in your church as a family, dedicate an evening of prayer every week to seeking the Lord’s guidance in your giving, or simply share stories of kids in India with your children to show them the real life impact the Gospel has.
If you long to pass down a legacy of giving toward missions, Jen wants to encourage you with this: “Find something God-honoring that you are passionate about and JUST DO IT! Ask God what He would have you do with the resources He has already blessed you with, invite your kids into that decision, and watch God change hearts.”
