The 2012 Olympic Games have come to a close. Team USA walked away with
the gold in some of my family's favorite events, including women’s gymnastics, men’s basketball and women's water polo.
The hard work, training and dedication of team members paid
off as they reached the goal they had all been striving for: the gold medal!
Sports competitions are a great reminder of the importance of teamwork.
Each member of the team must fulfill his or her unique role in order to help
the group accomplish their aim. Teammates must be on the same page as they
cooperate and work together toward the same goal.
This summer, the Family Ministry Blog Tour has asked individuals to
consider the question, “What is family ministry?”
To me, family ministry is about a TEAM – church leaders, congregations,
parents and families all working together with the same goal in mind: the
salvation and spiritual growth of individuals.
Family ministry acknowledges that children are under our care at the
church for approximately an hour or two each week, while they are with their family
for many more hours per week. It acknowledges how much of an influence family
members have on one another, and that the family is the bedrock of society. Family
ministry considers the whole of the family unit, not just one individual in
that family. Family ministry looks at the needs of the family and ministers to the
whole family – parents and children. We must be praying for them, encouraging
them and equipping them.
I believe that family ministry seeks to break down those walls that may
have separated and segmented our ministries in the past. Children are often
downstairs in the church basement learning and doing activities while their
parents are learning something else upstairs. When church is over, parents pick
their children up, ask if they had fun, and the conversation about church ends
there.
Family ministry is intentional about keeping parents informed and
involved. I want the families of children in our ministry to know what their
kids learned on Sunday morning, so that they can continue to talk about it and
review and reinforce that message with them throughout the week. We should partner with parents as part of the team to help children
grow and develop in faith. Church leaders have a responsibility to teach and
train these children, giving them a solid foundation in the Scriptures, but the
responsibility for spiritual training also must belong to the parents and
family. Part of our calling as leaders is to equip God’s people for the work of
ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Some parents may not feel qualified to teach their
children about biblical matters or may not know where to start. As church
leaders who may have the professional training in Christian education and child
development, we must be equipping parents to daily guide their children to grow
in faith in the Lord. We can help provide families with the tools, resources, training and
encouragement they need to help their children grow and learn and to help them
survive the ups and downs of family life. In today’s busy culture, we can also provide
special family times, opportunities that encourage families to spend time
together and talk about their Christian faith with one other.
Of course, the success of these kinds of family ministry efforts requires
the cooperation of the parents to accept and embrace their God-given roles as
spiritual guides for their children. Sadly, this does not always happen in our
congregations. Many children attend church on their own, and their family may
not share their faith. Nevertheless, we must continue to encourage and love
both the children and their families, reaching out to them and continuing to
cultivate the children’s faith as they are in our care. Perhaps the child’s
life, faith and behavior will be a witness to their own family members.
Family ministry is about a team. As church leaders, we are one part of
that team and must work wholeheartedly as we seek to see children and families
grow in the Lord. With continued love, prayer, patience, and the power of God’s
Spirit, families will be transformed through Jesus.
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