Roll call is a consistent happening the first day of every school year. Even if the teacher mispronounces your name, the proper response is, “Present!” Responding with a shy, “Here”, or staying silent due to a humiliating pronunciation of your name, could get you moved to the front of the class. And that makes for a rough start to the new school year!

Are you present and accounted for in the lives of your children? The “accounted for” calls for being physically present and engaged in the happenings. If you can answer, “Yes” to the following questions, you get an ATTADAD! from me.

• Have you made the school’s open house and met your children’s teachers?
• Do you know each child’s class schedule and their most challenging subjects?
• Have you and mom reviewed the syllabus for each class?
• Have you prayed as a family for the school year and the teachers by name?
• Have you met as a family to discuss rules for this school year?

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus was consistently present and accounted for in His disciples’ lives, pouring His heart into them. Now as they continue His ministry, they know He will be present with them always. The “go” charge from Jesus is often thought of in relation to foreign missionary work. The Greek word translated here as “go” could also be translated as “become”. Thus, the passage could read, “Therefore become and make disciples …”  The primary role of a father is to become a disciple and pour his heart into his wife and kids. This requires a dad’s consistent presence and accountability in family. One home, one church and one community at a time, dads will make disciples across our nation and beyond.

Accept the charge to be present and accounted for in family. Then upon the final ‘roll call’, you can boldly say, “Yes Lord! I was present and accounted for in raising the children You blessed me with.” And He will say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
Tips for the new school year include:

• Review the school’s semester calendar for key activities across the year;
• Review any extra-curricular events that may not be on the school calendar;
• Log the dates onto whatever calendar system you and your family use;
• Check for potential conflicts with work schedule, travel or other commitments;
• Be willing to sacrifice personal hobbies or interests.

Prayer guide: Thank You Lord for Your presence in my life. Thank You for sending Your Son to walk this earth and make disciples that would carry His work forward. I confess I have not invested the time in prayer, scripture and study to become the disciple You expect me to become. Forgive me. I accept responsibility from this point on to invest time to be with You and my family. It is an honor to be Your representative where You have me. Grant me discipline to be present and accounted for in making disciples of the children You have blessed me with. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad my kids need to see. Amen.

A faithful father accepts the charge to be present and accounted for in family.