Family Integration

A Healthy Church Begins with the Family!

What is Family Integration?

Family Integration is the biblically-based belief that the family unit is the primary learning environment for the development of believers in discipleship and ministry. It is founded on the concept that God has created and ordained the family to be the most significant and foundational organization for mankind. History has demonstrated that when families break down, so do cultures and nations. From a Christian perspective, when families break down, so does the faith. Family Integration strives to create a church whose ordinances and practices strengthen families, thus, strengthening the faith.

Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6

“Now this is the commandment, the statues and the rules that the LORD you God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the LORD you God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statues and his commandments, which I command you,…” – Deut. 6:1-2 ESV

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” – Deut. 6:6-7 ESV

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” –Ephesians 6:4 ESV

In Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6 God outlines His discipleship principles. In these Scriptures He commands parents, particularly fathers, to diligently teach their children about Him at home. He tells fathers to teach their children who He is and what He requires of them, especially to love Him with all of their hearts. God warns that to fail in this would produce a generation(s) who forgets God! To succeed in this would result in multi-generational faithfulness.

Christianity: A Faith in Crisis

Implementing man-made traditions over God’s original instructions has put the Christian Faith in crisis. Let’s take a look at the facts:

70-88% of youth raised in church abandon Christ and His church by the end of their freshman year in college.
Less than 10% of professing Christians in the United States have a Biblical worldview. That means that 90% of professing Christians are operating from an evolutionist, secular humanist, atheistic or pluralistic worldview of American culture. HELP US, JESUS!
56% of “church youth” say that what is right for one person in a given situation may not be right for another person in the exact same situation. This is called situational ethics or moral relativism.
Only 5% of church teens possess a Biblical worldview. The majority of teens believe Jesus sinned during His early ministry.
Culture has undertaken a massive effort to sell children and young people a non-Christian ethical system that says there’s no God, no Creator, no moral law; whatever you want is for you and everything is purely a life style choice.
Society has undertaken to assassinate the function of the conscience by telling young people that they should not feel guilt, shame, or responsibility because the blame falls on the rule maker.
Sadly, most parents have no plan, standards, goals, and accountability for their children’s discipleship. Those who do, spend less than 30 minutes per week, discussing religious matters with their children.

Returning to the Biblical Model

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” –Ephesians 6:4 ESV

The Church is Family Time

By joining in the main services....

children will experience the teaching of God’s Word and begin to understand the importance of preaching. Only God knows how a child benefits from hearing their father, parent or caregiver pray. Only God knows what a child gets from hearing God’s people worship. Only God knows what a child gleans from seeing men stand up and speak the things of God. Only God knows how a child benefits from experiencing Christian community. We must assume that since He knows, it must be good. Our attitude should be that church is family time, our family and then family of God. Just as we enjoy doing other things together as a family, we should more so enjoy worship, instruction and fellowship as a family along with our brothers and sisters in the faith.