“You have to get dad.”
That’s what Beau Lamb told a breakout session during the recent New Mexico Evangelism Conference sponsored by the Baptist Convention of New Mexico.
To reach families for Christ, churches must reach fathers first, noted Lamb, pastor of First Baptist Church Santa Rosa, New Mexico.
Right now, Lamb said, the state ranks 48 out of 50 for quality of home life and 50th in child welfare in the United States.
He also shared the story of a girl named Kat. After she became a Christian at BCNM’s Children’s Mission Camp, her family began attending church. But over time they returned to their previous lifestyle and Kat longed for a dad who cared deeply for her.
In April 2022 Kat moved in with the Lambs, but her family then requested that she return home.
“We were heartbroken,” Lamb recalled during the Feb. 27-28 event.
The experience was the catalyst for leading FBC Santa Rosa to care for fathers, Lamb said.
“When a father is led to Jesus, the odds that the entire family becomes saved skyrockets,” he said.
Lamb encouraged the audience to ask, “What is the dad dealing with?” and suggested praying for and encouraging fathers. He read quotes from fathers who admitted they needed help.
“I am not telling us anything new,” he said. “We just have to help dads get to the next step.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Isaiah Unland and originally published by the Baptist New Mexican.
