Strong families consist of strong marriages. It is the purpose of the family ministry to come alongside married couples in the church and equip them to remain faithful to God and each other, modeling their marriages after the pattern of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-26). This is to be done with a view towards celebrating marriages and not merely addressing wedding vows when they are broken
. This vision is practically accomplished first and foremost through preaching and teaching the word from the pulpit. This is also done in secondary ways such as leading by example, book studies, conferences and events. It would be my desire to develop relationships which allow others to join my family in holding each other accountable as we seek to model this vision. I would also want to teach a Sunday school class with books such as This Momentary Marriage by John Piper. There are also many great conferences, such as those run by FamilyLife, that could be modeled or hosted by the church. There can be events like a married couple’s dinner hosted by the church or parent’s night out where childcare is provided. Another major event that I would hope to do yearly is a marriage celebration. Too often in churches, marriage is only addressed when something has gone wrong. The secular world knows the church’s view on homosexuality, divorce and remarriage. However, we need to not only stand against misrepresentations of marriage, but we also need to celebrate healthy marriages in the church. Children –
Children are an inheritance from the Lord. They will, in one short generation, be the next leaders of Christ’s church. Therefore, it is the purpose of the family ministry to equip parents to be the ones primarily responsible for the spiritual instruction of their children. As such, parents will be encouraged to make their home the primary place where their children learn to love and worship God, and to love others. This will be done as they commit to teach their children God’s word and thereby teach them to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. This goal is understood to be attainable through prayer, knowing that only God can change the heart. This should not be merely accomplished in word, but also in deed as parents seek to live out the truths of God’s Word. This vision for children is practically accomplished through parents discipling their children to be followers of Christ. The primary resource for the parents, aside from the Bible itself, should be the church. However, parents should not be encouraged to abdicate their responsibilities to the church. Training of parents to disciple their children can be done through parent training seminars, provision of resources and events. It would be my hope to lead a regular conference on discipling children where parents are made aware of current issues and resources to help them raise their children in a world that is increasingly hostile towards Christianity. It would also be my hope to make books available to parents to use in the home for regular family worship. There should also be events at the church that are biblically driven that encourage family unity. Often, events in the church are divided based on age and there is not often time for cross-generational, spiritual encouragement. Church -
Strong churches consist of strong families that serve together. It is the purpose of the family ministry to equip families to serve the church through faithful attendance and worship of God in church as they participate in its ministries. As members of this church, the families should be encouraged to develop and use their God-given gifts and talents to function more fully as members of the body of Christ. Families will be encouraged to hold others in the church accountable as they humbly seek to keep their commitments through prayer and intentional fellowship. Families should be continually developing their gifts and abilities as they serve Christ by ministering to the Body of Christ. This is practically done on three major levels: ministry in the church, ministry to the community, and ministry around the world. The very best volunteers are those who have an understanding of the importance of investing in children. Who better to do this than the parents of the children themselves? It would be my hope to take the families that are being strengthened by the church and have them serve in the community. I would want the families of the church to be regularly involved with activities such as working with a local crisis pregnancy center, visiting shut-ins and leading service projects in the community. It would also be my desire to lead a family-focused mission trip. I would want to cultivate an environment where families are using their vacation time to go on mission trips. It is powerful for children to see their parents serve and share the Gospel. Spiritual Orphans –
We live in a broken world, and as such, the ministry of the church is to come along-side widows and orphans. It would be nearsighted of the church to assume that this responsibility is only referring to widows and orphans in the physical sense. As a result of sin, there are many that have been spiritually widowed or orphaned. It is the responsibility of the church to come along-side those that have been physically or spiritually abandoned. This is especially true of single parents and children in the community whose parents are not interested in worshiping God. This vision should be accomplished by creating an environment that is uncompromising on the Gospel but also uncompromising in sharing the Gospel in love. Practically, this should be done as complete families assist broken families to fill in the gaps. This means cultivating an environment of adoption in the church. Serving spiritual widows and orphans means having a group of men and women who are willing to lovingly challenge delinquent fathers and mothers, calling them to repentance and a life of faith.
