Piecing Together Whole Family Ministry Prepared by Teachable Heart Ministries

Family Ministry- The Model The people of Israel camped by families during their journey through the desert (Numbers 2:2) The Promised Land was divided and assigned to families (Numbers 33:54). Under Nehemiah, the people rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem by families (Neh. 4:13-14). The New Testament Church was organized around churches in homes (families). The Passover was celebrated in families (Ex.12:3- 4,24-27) The Lord's Supper (Acts 2:46) celebrated in families.

Equipping Parents Parents need special classes about subjects like : How to teach their children the Word of God Evangelizing children Recognizing and developing the spiritual potential of children Leading family devotions Psychology and education of children in general, from a Biblical point of view.

Family Discipleship Programs Learning how to live out the relationship with the Lord together in family, being a church in the home Sharing together (between parents and children, husband and wife, among brothers) everyone's personal experiences with the Lord Improving communication and interpersonal relationships within the family Seeking together as a family God's will regarding important decisions and problems which affect the family Seeking God together regarding His special calling for the family and for each of its members Learning how to be a "ministry team" as a family, and how each member can find his/her specific place in this team, according to his/her personal gifts and talents.

Some ideas how whole families can serve the Lord together: Opening their home for a small group In evangelistic outreaches, families can participate and serve together in some area, for example in intercession, praise, presenting a song or drama, inviting people, etc. practical tasks in the church (cleaning, decoration, etc.) Prayer chain and other prayer based ministry accommodating in their home people in a personal crisis

Families Worshiping Together Worship leaders - interact directly with the children, physically near the children, explain to them praise, freedom in expressions, choose songs which are easy to learn and with lyrics children can understand- taking time to explain poetry in lyrics. He will have to teach new songs step by step, so the children can participate. quiet worship must be presented after the message, families could then leave when the children are finished The sermon should be short and explained in a way children can understand. We must also take into account that working more with families means reducing the activities in separate groups.

A possible program for family services Experiment a little and adapt these hints to your particular situation, or discover other ways how to include children and teenagers. Praise- 2 child friendly praise songs, 3 modern rhythmic songs for teenagers and young adult. The teenage group presents a drama representing the Biblical story on which the sermon is based. A short video clip could also be played. A teacher gives a small application for the children. Sermon for the adults, 20 minutes. (The sermon can be short because the preacher does not need to explain the Biblical text itself; he just builds upon the text which has already been represented in the drama.) Quieter worship time is saved for the end to allow families to leave as the children finish worship

The important thing is to try to piece together elements that work for your church and meet the needs of your children and their families.