A few weeks ago (Oct 10-12) Missy and I went to a Family Integrated Church (FIC) conference that was put on by Voddie Baucham's church in Spring, TX (near Houston). The FIC model rejects age segregated programming, arguing that these programs undermine the family and encourage parents to let the "professionals" teach their children about the faith, when the Bible clearly instructs parents to do this.
I left with conflicted emotions. Missy and I spent more than four years @ FBCWS working in youth ministry, and four years later there is very little fruit to show for all our efforts. And now we know some of why that is so. It wasn't our job! It was the parents' job. It wasn't God's plan. It was our plan. Now we're trying to use God's plan. It's so weird, because it isn't primarily just a different way of doing things. It is a different way of thinking. And that takes time.
The road that led us to attending an FIC conference was us attempting to get ourselves ready to raise Abigail. I just think, if God has used her to change us so much even before she has gotten here, what does he have in store for us as we seek to raise her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? I'm so looking forward to this challenge. But it does make me much afraid.
1 comment:
I totally agree. It's the church's job to help equip the parents but it's primarily the parent's job to teach their children. There is no program out there that can be a substitute for that. When I think about it, I was never in a children's/youth ministry growing up...my parents took their job very seriously and didn't believe anyone could teach their children better than them. I'm so thankful for that!
It's a great challenge to teach the parents what their role is.
You and Missy are going to be wonderful parents, no doubt.
Great post!
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