Deuteronomy 31:12-13 – Instead of silo-based church programming, reconsider how your efforts can unite the family rather than dividing them. Lead your church in a way that supplements what should be transpiring in the home.
Biblical Concept (Deuteronomy 31:12-13)
- We should find ways to gather the family together in spiritual environments rather than consistently isolating them.
- As a family aligns with what they are hearing, they can better stay faithful in how they apply it.
- If faithful attempts at multigenerational discipleship occur, there is a better chance it will continue to the next generations.
Paradigms of Family Ministry
- Separate: each ministry for each age acts independently
- Supplemented: provide extra help for family discipleship
- Strategic: restructure environments to work together
- Shared: all ages together all the time
Ministry Environments
Use one word to describe what the programming seeks to do in each block.
| Sunday AM 1 | Sunday AM 2 | Sunday PM | Wednesday PM | Other | |
| Adults | |||||
| Students | |||||
| Children | |||||
| Preschool |
- Are you scheduling your priorities or meeting the expectations?
- What would you change immediately if no one would get mad at you?
- What percentage of time do you spend preparing programs versus parents?
Alignment
- If you don’t develop a comprehensive plan among age-based ministries, you will settle for silo-based, disconnected efforts.
- Disunity in a church staff will create competition for funding, facilities, promotion, and volunteers.
- Without a planned handoff between ministries, you can lose significant momentum.
Considerations
- Equip Parents – What is our strategy to help them evangelize and disciple their children?
- Enhance Programs – How can we align our environments to make family discipleship more natural?
- Engage Needs – Where can we fill significant gaps when the ideal is absent?
Kickstarter Ideas
- Create family Bible reading plans.
- Consider how families can unite together while on the church campus.
- Consider how to unite teaching among age groups.
- Create an agreed-upon set of goals for age-group ministries among your leadership.
- Configure open doors or at least open windows so parents can be involved and informed about teaching in environments.
- Involve parents in conversion conversations.
- Encourage parents to baptize their children.
- Create opportunities for families to grow and serve together.
- Unify scheduling to allow families to be present at what you prioritize.
- Train leaders to supplement and not substitute parents.
- Provide training opportunities and resources for parents.
- Encourage families to serve on Sundays together.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
