For the past six weeks, we have been looking at one strategy for introducing children to the gospel and keeping them involved in church, family ministry. Today we conclude the "family" matter. I hope this blog series was a blessing to you and has presented you with an option for your ministry, church, or family. Family ministry equips parents to become the primary disciple-makers of their children. Proponents believe the 21st century church is failing congregations by not partnering with parents to equip them to share in ministry to the next generation. The goal is to accurately pass on the gospel to the next generation through the family. There are at least four types of family ministry strategies, family based ministry, family equipping ministry, family intergrated ministry, and the traditional programmatic, segregated approach. Although young adults are highly educated, they are largely “unchurched,” and rarely to they read the Bible or meet with others to study the Bible. Approximately 70 percent of young adults agree that the American church is irrelevant, and only 24 percent attend church weekly. This means that the church must disciple young adults differently, parents and mentors must be involved with the church in the discipleship process, and the church must prepare to disciple a more ethnically diverse congregation. Recent research found that Millennials are very close to their parents and thrive on relationships. Family ministry as a long range plan, and not a quick fix, might be the answer.
Related Posts:
Family Matters Blog Series Pt. 4: Active Churches In Family Ministry
Bibliography
Baucham, Voddie Jr. (2007). Family Driven Faith, Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk With God, Wheaton: CrosswayFloyd, Ronnie When the Bible Meets Life Sampler, biblestudiesforlife.com
Haynes, Brian (2009). Shift, What It Takes to Finally Reach Families Today, Loveland: Group Publishing, Inc.
The Holy Bible, (1984). New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing
Jones, Timothy Paul (2011). Family Ministry Field Guild, How Your Church Can Equip Parents to Make Disciples, Indianapolis, Wesleyan Publishing House.
Mercadante, F. (2008). The Millennial Generation, Postmodernism, and the Changing Face of Catholic Youth Ministry.
Rainer, T. S. (2011). The Millennials, Connecting to America's Largest Generation. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group.Stinson, Randy and Jones, Timothy Paul (20 Trained in the Fear of God, Family Ministry in Theological, Historical, and Practical Perspective
Younts Jones, Christine, A Blueprint for Family Ministry, Retrieved December 5, 2013 from Childrensministry.com: http://childrensministry.com/articles/a-
blueprint-for-family-ministry
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