The Focus is on The Family:
Support The Family Discipleship
Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
In the family-based ministry model, no radical changes occur in the church’s internal structure. The congregation still maintains youth ministry, children’s ministry, singles ministry, and so on. What makes the practices of these churches different from the octopus-without-a-brain templates of the twentieth century is the focus of each ministry, coupled with the addition of some inter-generational curriculum, activities, or events. Students may still experience worship and small groups in peer gatherings, separated from other generations. Yet each ministry sponsors events and learning experiences that are intentionally designed to draw generations together.
-Jones, Timothy Paul (2009-10-01). Perspectives on Family Ministry (p. 43). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.
The family based model is the closest model to current church models today. Those that adhere to the family based model keep the segregated classes, small groups and worship but work towards a family emphasis. The goal is to support the family discipleship at home.
"Family-based youth ministry, therefore, is not about creating special programming for young people from each different kind of family. What every teenager needs in order to grow in Christ (that is, a faith-nurturing family and/or a faith-nurturing extended family. " -Mark DeVries
"Surrounding your children with good people
is one of the great gifts parents can give their children." -Mike Yaconelli
is one of the great gifts parents can give their children." -Mike Yaconelli
Websites for Family-Based Model
- What is Orange? - Combining Home and Church to provide resources and learning opportunities for church leaders and parents.
- What is family based youth ministry? An article on a basic understanding of family based youth ministry by Jim Burns
- Family Based Youth Ministry- An article by Douglas Brown. In this article he shares the weakness of current ministry and the strengths of family based youth ministry.
- It's Just A Phase - For leaders and parents who care about kids and their various phases of development. Material is divided by Pre-School, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. The website deals with modern day concerns such as social media.
- Extending your youth ministry to families-This is a web article on simply youth ministry page. The unnamed author gives benefits and how to on family based youth ministry.
- Tapping the Brakes on the "Family Based Ministry" Movement- Great article on giving a critical review of family-based ministry.
- Review on "Family-based Youth ministry" book by Mark Devries- Great article and review of the "family-based youth ministry."
- The Long Transition to Church Family-Based Youth Ministry- Gives some good ideas of making the transition to family based ministry and overviews the three models.
- A Family Based Approach to Youth Ministry - Gives ideas for churches on how to minister to parents, offering more than just meetings.
- In Repair: Tapping the Brakes on the "Family Based Ministry" Movement - The author of this blog explains why Family Based Ministry may not always be a good fit for a particular ministry and its context, in light of biblical thought.
- Faith Formation - Articles discussing how habits become one's lifestyle. Prayer, Scripture reading, and church attendance are part of the spiritual formation of the individual and the family. Gives and important perspective for parents to set an example of faith based habits for the family.
- How to Chart a New Course in Your Ministry - Gives leaders and pastors some key areas to consider when developing or making changes to develop more focus on Family Based Ministry.