The greatest setting for making a difference in the life and development of a child is the family--not the church. The church can lead a child who lives in a difficult home environment into truth and faith in Jesus but it’s difficult. By the same token, the world can lead a child from a good Christian family and home away from truth and faith, but that too is difficult. The family, not the church or the school, is without a doubt the most effective setting for the development of a spiritually healthy child.
That’s why the most effective churches put a lot of effort into developing and supporting their families. They support traditional one mom and one dad families, blended families, and single parent families. They provide training, mentoring, coaching, and when needed external fathering and mothering. They also empower the family to experience the Bible through a strong devotional altar at home, not just at church.
Knowing the power of the family setting, the Assemblies of God recently released Bible Engagement Project which is designed with family Bible reading plans. It has video support with thought-provoking questions and is more than an add on to a new curriculum. It’s the foundation! It’s usable for any parent, with any level of personal Bible knowledge, to be effective in their own family’s spiritual development. Bible Engagement Project can be used wherever the family is--the dining room table, living room couch, front seat of a car, or even the local park. Why? Because its developers knew that the greatest setting for making an eternal difference is the family!
If you are in church ministry, I encourage you to use your platform to strengthen and support families. If you are part of a family, I encourage you to use that platform to build healthy Christians that will stand the test of time and some day lead their children to do the same. Bible Engagement Project is designed to help you do both.
