Focus on the Family Magazine - April/May 2023

COUPLES / SERVICE
Leonard Harris,
Lauren’s father
Tony (right) with his
parents, Wilbur and
Cleomae Dungy
Uncommon influencers
Tony and Lauren recall many others
who positively influenced their lives
and taught them about serving the
Lord. Lauren’s parents and grandparents
all cared for children in the foster
system. “They were employed outside
the home, but they realized they
had gifts that could extend to others,”
Lauren says.
Her parents also adopted two children
during their retirement years.
Before Lauren’s mom passed away at
95, she was still volunteering at church,
cooking meals and writing encouraging
letters to others.
“It was something she enjoyed doing,
and it was a calling God gave her,”
Lauren says. “I think kingdom building
goes on until the day you die.”
For Tony and Lauren, the call to
adopt and foster children showed up
early in their 40-year marriage, after
a woman spoke at their church about
children needing loving homes.
“We were just so moved by her presentation,”
Lauren recalls. “We prayed
about it and decided to get involved.
That was God saying, ‘This is your calling.
This is what I want you to do.’ Tony
and I have always worked with children
and young adults, influencing
and mentoring them. This was another
step in that same direction.”
Early on, Tony and Lauren were
also influenced by the pastor of their
Pittsburgh church. Tony explains: “The
pastor there got the message across
to everybody that being a Christian
wasn’t just coming to church, hearing
a message and singing songs. It
was going out and serving for Christ.
So what are you doing? How are you
living? What are you doing to demonstrate
Christ to your community?”
One couple in that church, Mike and
Barb Cephas, were a big influence on
Tony and Lauren, though they didn’t
realize it at the time. “They were mentors
to us without even trying,” Tony
says. “They had a tremendous influence
on us, and we’re still friends 40
years later. They had an impact just by
raising godly children.”
Saying yes to service
Caring for children is a natural calling
for Tony and Lauren. Fixing cars? Not
so much. “If someone says, ‘Hey, my
car broke down. Can you come and fix
it?’ Well, that’s going to be hard for me,”
Tony says.
But even when we’re able to help
someone, Tony says, it can be easy to
say no. Amid the busyness of life, we
tend to avoid inconvenient demands
on our time. So how do you move past
that initial “no”? As a couple, Tony and
Lauren seek to pray first then discern
God’s voice. Once they’re clear about
that, they act.
The couple have experienced many
blessings stemming from their love
for each other and service to children.
“We’re blessed because we’re learning
to love God’s children, regardless of
their background or their situation,”
Lauren says. “God is teaching us a lot—
how to be patient, how to be giving. . . .”
Another reward is seeing their own
children catch the bug to serve. When
babies enter their home, Lauren says
the older children want to help. And
when the family hangs out in a park,
Dungy kids hand out water bottles to
the homeless.
“Don’t think you don’t have influence,”
Tony tells parents. “You do.
You’re influencing someone, and you
have opportunities to influence people,
even though you may think [those
opportunities] aren’t that significant.
They are. If you influence one person,
you can change the world.” •
Julie Holmquist is a content producer for the
Marriage and Family Formation department
at <strong>Focus</strong> on the Family.
UNCOMMON
INFLUENCE
by Lauren and Tony Dungy
Everyone is called to do something
caring for vulnerable children.
Supporting caregivers is a
wonderful way to make a
difference in the life of a child.
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COURTESY OF THE DUNGY FAMILY
24
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
APRIL / MAY 2023