How Families Can Stay Mission True

• Guest Author: Jill Heisey, Executive Writing Specialist at Hope International
• Posted: January 6, 2026

At the height of the pandemic, our family bought a canoe, envisioning peaceful evenings on a nearby reservoir, teaching our young daughters to fish. But the reality was far less idyllic. With both parents busy dispensing snacks and baiting hooks and both children too tiny to paddle, we constantly drifted—into the weeds, out into deeper waters, anywhere but where we intended to be. Though the water looked still, it took near-constant rowing to reach—and remain at—our chosen spot.

It turns out drifting isn’t just a challenge for novice paddlers. Whether in organizations, personal lives, or families, we’re all vulnerable to drifting from our intended destination. And the stakes are far higher than a few missed fish.

Over a decade ago, my colleague and friend Peter Greer co-authored Mission Drift, a book about institutions that endure but lose sight of their founding purpose. This year, we released How Leaders Lose Their Way: a follow-up that explores how individuals, too, are impacted by misguided pursuits and strong currents. I don’t lead an organization like Peter does, but as a parent—a leader in my home—I’ve been reflecting on how these principles apply to families. How do our families stay mission true amid life’s currents?

Know Your Mission

Organizations often have mission statements. Families seldom do. But clarity of purpose is just as essential at home.

I’m inspired by Peter and Jessica Dobbs, business owners and parents of five sons, who walked away from a lucrative business because the time it demanded conflicted with their family’s mission: “To raise good men who love God, love their wives, are incredible husbands and fathers, and who look after the people around them.” For the Dobbs family, every decision—even career choices—is filtered through the lens of their mission. They’ve recognized the importance of naming their destination and charting their course with intention.

Fix Your Eyes

When I was learning to drive, my dad warned me: “You’ll drift toward whatever you’re looking at.” It’s true on the road—and in life.

There have been seasons when I didn’t know the right decision for my family. In those moments, I’ve learned to echo King Jehoshaphat’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:12: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Parenting books, podcasts, and advice can be helpful, but they don’t necessarily provide godly direction for my family. Through prayer, I have a direct line to my children’s Creator—who promises wisdom to all who ask (James 1:5). Fixing our eyes on Him helps us trust His plan, even when the path is unclear.

Row, Row, Row

John Maxwell once said, “We teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are.” Nowhere is that truer than in parenting.

We can tell our kids the Bible matters—or we can let them see us reading it. We can talk about the importance of church—or we can show them by consistently prioritizing attendance and service. We can say we’ll pray for them—or we can stop and pray with them, right then and there.

One of our family’s daily rhythms is praying at the bus stop. Recently, on a delayed start day, my husband and I had already begun work when our daughters left for school. As they waited for the bus, my older daughter turned to her sister and said, “You have to pray with me before I go.”

There’s nothing flashy about the disciplines we’re practicing—Sabbath, prayer, Scripture reading, generosity, community—but as we model (and sometimes narrate) them, our kids are catching on.

Recalibrate Often

Parenting is leadership in close proximity. Very little that we say or do goes unseen by our children. They don’t need us to pretend we have it all together. They need to see us receive God’s grace and recalibrate.

When we mess up—and we will—will we model humility? Will we ask for forgiveness? Will we course-correct?

Staying mission true doesn’t mean perfection. It means returning, again and again, to our mission—and to the One who calls us to it.