Summarize the couple's discipleship methodologies and describe their family’s
circumstances.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Pastor Mike Grover and his lovely wife Cheryl. Mike
and Cheryl live in Tampa Florida where Mike is the head pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church
and Cheryl works at the Senator’s office. This couple waited until they were in their forties to
have children so that they could focus on their passion which is missions. In their early ministry
they lived in Daytona Beach and then Jacksonville Florida before they planted Fellowship in
Thonotosassa Florida.
Once they became parents, they new their ministry roles had to shift from pouring into
others to pouring into their family first and then others. Tripp and Tripp explain, “The life
classroom is constant, compelling and comprehensive. The same is true of our homes as well.
They are environments where our children are constantly learning.”1 They first had Julianna
followed by Annabeth. Julianna has a heart for Jesus and to this day leads worship at their
church. In addition to ministry, Julianna attended and graduated from South Florida University
Summa cum laude with a degree in accounting. Annabeth also has a heart for Jesus and serves in
various ministries in the church, but her heart is with the kids’ ministry. She is set to begin South
Florida University in the fall where she will major in English. Both of these girls have grown to
have their very own relationship with the Lord, which did not happen by attending church alone
but through their parent’s strategic discipleship plan in their home.
1 Tedd Tripp and Margy Tripp, Instructing a Child's Heart (Wapwallopen, PA: Shepherd Press, 2008), 18.
What are some key strategies you used to intentionally disciple to your children?
Mike and Cheryl explained that it came natural for them to disciple their children since
they lived their lives for the Lord. A few examples of how they were intentional are as follows,
they attended church regularly, read the Bible to them daily and prayed with them, while
encouraging them to participate in prayer time. Cheryl explained one of the most influential
strategies they used was ongoing conversations with them about the Bible and how it applied to
their lives and the world.
How did you get them interested in family Bible time?
Having your kids interested and invested in family Bible time is important. However,
without the right strategy, you may find it a challenge, especially with younger children, for them
not to view it as a duty or even uninteresting. Tripp explains, “The person your child becomes is
a product of two things. The first is his life experience. The second is how he interacts with that
experience.”2 As parents it is imperative to shape the influences of your child’s life. Mike and
Cheryl explained how they engaged their children with family Bible time. They made their time
and discussion informal, allowing it to be a part of their normal flow of life stating, “it felt less
programmed this way.”
At What age did they become interested in the Bible on their own?
In his book Intentional Parenting: Family Discipleship by Design, Tad Thompson
explains, “The spiritual futures of children must be placed as a matter of primary importance
back into the hands of the people who have the greatest opportunity to influence them for the
2 Tedd Tripp, Shepherding a Child's Heart: Revised and Updated 2nd Edition (Wapwallopen, PA: Shepherd Press,
2018), 10.
Kingdom of God—their parents.”3 Mike and Cheryl said both girls were introduced to reading
scripture for themselves at the age of four. The began by introducing them to 1 John, to allow
them early familiarity with the Scriptures.
How did you make time for God in your daily routine as a family?
By modeling God in their own lives, Mike and Cheryl influenced their children to
become more like God. They explained it was never really a question for them of how to fit God
into their lives since they both lived for the Lord and knew they wanted their family to be Christ
centered, they simply made that time a priority above everything else.
How did you incorporate discipleship into your family life with your children?
Lastly, they explained it was very organic for them and still is to incorporate discipleship
into the lives of their family. They read and taught the Bible to them but also made sure to find a
way to apply it to life’s circumstances, even when their children were very young and were at
odds over something they would tell them that the Bible says to be kind to one another and
would have them repeat it. As they got older it became less routine and more conversational.
Conclusion
It was a pleasure interviewing this family who demonstrates a heart for God in their every
day lives. I believe they are a great example of what it looks like to disciple to your children.
There are many key takeaways from this interview that I believe any parent can benefit from in
their personal journey of family discipleship.
3 Tad Thompson, Intentional Parenting: Family Discipleship by Design (Adelphi, MD: Cruciform Press, 2017), 10.
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