Family Ministry

North American families are in crisis, and the need for family ministry is more evident than ever. In her many years of ministry, research and teaching, author Diana Garland has found that the strength of Christian families is rooted in their faith and nurtured in their congregations. Garland believes that Christian families gain strength in part because of their communities of faith. Twelve years after first coming to print, the award-winning Family Ministry has been given a significant makeover. In this new edition Garland takes a three-pronged approach to family ministry, which includes developing families grounded in Christian faith, helping families live the teachings of Jesus with one another, and equipping and supporting families as they learn to serve others. The insights gained are organized into four main sections: The Context for Family Ministry Family Formation Family Dynamics Leading Family Ministry Garland examines and fully integrates the historical, sociological, theological and biblical contexts to understand the role and meaning of family in the life of Christians and the church. She perceptively connects these explorations with the social and cultural context of the early twenty-first century. Note: Because this ebook is large, please allow a little extra time to download after purchase.

Every church is called to some form of family ministry, but this calling requires far more than adding another program to an already-packed schedule. The most effective family ministries refocus every church process to engage parents in discipling their children and to draw family members together instead of pulling them apart. In this second edition, Jones expands the definition of family ministry, and broadens the book's focus to address urban perspectives and family ministry in diverse settings.

A practical resource for developing congregational stability, this updated book guides your church toward being capable of encouraging and sustaining healthy family life.

With decades of ministry experience, Michelle Anthony and Megan Marshman capture the guiding essentials of life-changing family ministry. These seven essentials for children and student leaders emphasize: 1. Empowering families to take spiritual leadership in the home 2. Forming lifetime faith that transcends childhood beliefs 3. Teaching Scripture as the ultimate authority of truth 4. Understanding the role of the Holy Spirit to teach and transform 5. Engaging every generation in the gospel of God’s redemptive story 6. Making God central in every biblical narrative and daily living 7. Participating in community with like-minded ministry leaders 7 Family Ministry Essentials will energize and equip you with the practical steps, inspirational stories, and biblical foundation you need as you lead those in your ministry.

Have you tried all the new youth programs? Have you planned one too many wacky activities? Are you frustrated about the size of the youth group? Here's an approach to ministry that takes youth work seriously. Family-based youth ministry is about adults discipling teens one-on-one and in groups. It is about involving not just the nuclear family but the whole church family--from singles to older adults. More important, it's about incorporating youth into the life of your church. So stop worrying about the size of your youth group or your budget. Mark DeVries's refreshing approach to youth ministry will show you how your church can reach today's teens and how you can keep them involved in the life of the church. Whether you are a parent, a youth pastor or a church member who cares about teens, you will find in this book an entirely different approach to youth ministry that will build mature Christian believers.

Families are both a great resource to the church's ministry and in great need of the church's ministry. There are tremendous stresses and changes in families. Business as usual simply will not do. This book sketches a road map that will take American families into a new day in family ministry while grappling with day-to-day challenges.

"Scripture calls parents to train their children in the faith and to nurture their children's souls. Yet few parents actively engage in their children's spiritual development. How can churches best equip families to engage in their divine calling to disciple their children? Family ministry expert Dr. Timothy Paul Jones guides church leaders to develop a ministry system that equips parents to be the primary faith-trainers in their children's lives, moving beyond mere programming into a deeper spiritual life at home, within the church, and beyond. This resource is for leaders in the trenches--those who: see parents disengaging from their children's spiritual development; see too many students leave for college and drop out of church; have heard of 'family ministry, ' and just want to know more; or are frustrated with programmed ministries that fail to produce results. Based on solid research, this field guide unpacks how real-life churches can narrow the gap between present reality and the biblical ideal of faith-nurturing families"--Publisher description.

Experts develop a biblical theology for family ministry to help churches reach all types of families today, from traditional nuclear homes to single-parent, blended, and gay-partner families, and beyond.