When my kids were young, especially during their preteen and teen years, they sometimes struggled with how to navigate their friendships with their non-Christian friends.

They knew the value of having Christian friends, but they also knew it was good to have non-Christian friends, so they could witness to them about Jesus.

The problem they had sometimes was how to do that. That’s when I came up with the “Your Terms… Your Turf” plan.

They could spend time with their non-Christian friends in a Christian setting. They almost always came to our house and we pre-approved the activities they did. We always encouraged our kids to invite their non-Christian friends to youth group events, and we had a rule about no missing church activities to do something with their non-Christian friends.

The “Your Terms… Your Turf” plan helped my kids avoid the temptation of letting their non-Christian friends take Jesus away from them. It gave them the opportunity to show Jesus to others in a safe, fun, and Godly environment.

I came up with the “Your Terms… Your Turf” plan to make it easier for my kids, but it’s a good idea for all of us, don’t you agree?