One Half of One Percent of Young People Have a Biblical Worldview

Scott T. Brown on September 14, 2012  from NCFIC

What will happen to a nation where almost no one has a biblical worldview? The Barna organization has released data which indicates that only 9% of adults in America have a biblical worldview. But what is even more startling is that among individuals eighteen to twenty-three years old, the number is nearly zero. This is a nation where Barna says approximately four in ten adults and one in three teenagers claim to be born again.*

 The research data showed that one pattern emerged loud and clear: young adults rarely possess a biblical worldview. The current study found that less than one-half of one percent of adults in the Mosaic generation – i.e., those aged 18 to 23 – have a biblical worldview, compared to about one out of every nine older adults. – Barna.org

Perhaps we should also consider if this situation is partly a reflection of the loss of biblical discipleship practices in the church and the family. I believe that it is. Further, there is hope for families and churches which are faithful to emulate biblical discipleship patterns which are always age integrated, bible saturated, walk-along-talk-along, relational, and generational in nature.

Here is something to rejoice in. Our God takes delight in mightily using small numbers of dedicated men who are faithful to Him. Let us commit ourselves to building churches that disciple and nurture faithful “aliens and strangers” in an increasingly godless society. As darkness increases around us, may the light of the gospel shine brighter and brighter through our lives, our homes, and our churches.

 *(Think Like Jesus, by George Barna p209)

 

How Can a Church Build Strong Families?

Posted by Scott T. Brown on June 5, 2012 of NCFIC

Here is the bottom line: You cannot minister to the weak families unless you have strong families. Strong families are dependent upon obedient men and holy women. If we never have healthy families, then we will never have healthy churches.

The following six things are biblically mandated elements of church and family life. Each one can help to foster healthy family life, and ultimately strong churches.

1. Provide biblically qualified elders When a church establishes biblically qualified elders who manage their households well (1 Timothy 3), they are providing for long term social change. As these men lead by example, the whole church begins to understand how a biblically ordered family functions.

2. Encourage biblical headship in the home How do you define a broken family? It starts with the role of the head of the house. Families are broken by men and women who do not fulfill their God-ordained roles. If the church ever hopes to minister to broken families, it must start by going back to Scripture to find how men should be spiritual leaders in their homes. We need to be about the business of equipping men for biblical manhood.

Who will minister to the lost youth of this generation? Families and churches must reach out to preach the gospel and teach all that Christ commanded.

3. Stop creating weak families through your programs We believe that the modern church has missed the mark by doing things that keep families weak. The church has not maintained biblical priorities for family life. When we do this, we end up withholding adequate role models or worse, we have no good role models for our weak families. If you want to build strong families, you have to stop creating weak families by maintaining unbiblical, family-weakening practices. Until this changes in a church, families will remain weak and broken.

4. Make the church a true family You must give broken families a biblical church family that exemplifies Christ’s love for the church. It is in a healthy church family that people with broken families learn something they did not know before – how to be a family (Mark 10:30).

5. Provide for the lifestyle of Titus 2 women in the church Titus 2 gives a picture of women in strong families ministering to young families. When you promote Titus 2 women who will instruct the younger women, you have provided a key component to church and family life that generates strong women and strong families. If you do not encourage women to be holy keepers at home, you will never be able to have strong families. This is a culture-defying act, but it must be done because it is a key component to biblical Christianity.

6. Provide inter-generational worship and education Families are strengthened by participation in biblical discipleship methodology that is inter-generational. This is the only pattern that we find in Scripture. There is no such thing as age-specific ministry in the Bible. It needs to be admitted that putting thirteen-year-olds with thirteen-year-olds is a very foolish and unscriptural practice. Until churches change this and similar practices, the vicious cycle of decline will continue.

Two critical issues need to be addressed. First, refusing to give priority to making strong families in our churches ensures that we will always be calling people to weakness.

Second, neglecting the biblical directives for family life rejects the major biblical methods for ministry to youth.

Our failure to obey the Word of God in ministry to youth is of enormous significance for the prosperity of the church. At this time, as we continue many unbiblical practices, we are systematically sending our young people on the path of destruction. It is fracturing our families. It is corrupting our churches. It is destroying the next generation.

If we ever expect to see change, it is important to stop doing the things that make for weak families and start practicing the things that strengthen them.
 

Should Children Be "Allowed" in the Worship Service?

Here are some GREAT questions and answers from the blog of the church we are now attending.  More churches need to see the need to train parents and children how to worship together.

Gospel of Grace Church

Why are there children in the worship service? Doesn't your church have a special children's program for them?
We are a church that emphasizes "intergenerational" or "family-integrated" ministry. The Bible teaches that parents are to be the foremost teachers of their children (Deut. 6:7; Proverbs 29:17; Ephesians 6:4), so as a church we attempt to support and assist (not replace) parents in that role. That is why we invite children to stay in the worship service and participate as they are able.

How can a young child understand what is going on?
The Bible talks about children asking parents questions (Exodus 12:26; Deut. 6:20), and the parents explaining and teaching (Exodus 12:27; Deut. 6:21-25). But if a child is not present in worship to observe, how will the child be able to ask their parents questions about worshipping God?

Won't they just disrupt the service?
Yes, indeed. We assume that a child unfamiliar with or unprepared to sit through an hour long service will most likely cause disruptions during the service. In order to assist parents through such disruptions, we have an area at the back of the church where parents can take a child. The glass doors can be closed if the child is noisy, and yet participation can continue since the area has speakers. After a time of "encouragement and training" most children will be able to sit still and learn about the Christian faith during the worship service. But in the meantime, while parents are in the process of training children to sit attentively during worship, we bless and thank God for their presence and little voices in worship.

Is there anything else I can do to help my child behave respectfully in church?   
Family worship times at home are ideal for learning and practicing this! If a child is old enough to understand the concept of using an "inside voice" (talking) versus an "outside voice" (yelling), the child will soon be able to understand that behavior during a worship service should be different than playing at home. If your child asks, "Why?", you'll be able to smile. Your child has just asked why we respect God...a great place to start teaching!

It is so much easier to send my children to a program designed for children, instead of putting all this effort into training them to behave well in an adult worship service. Isn't this putting too much emphasis on the children?                        
We are trying to strike a biblical balance between worshipping our children (which is idolatry) and neglecting our children (which is ungodly). The Bible clearly teaches that parents are to train up their children (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4), and this training takes a lot of work. That is why our church positions itself alongside parents in order to assist them as they diligently struggle to train each child. Just as we desire to see people from all tongues, tribes, and nations bow the knee to Jesus Christ and worship Him, so too we desire every member of our families (including our children) to bow their knee to Christ and worship Him. Therefore, we strive in our commitment as a church to encourage families to worship together. 

 

"If we segregate youth what do we lose?"

Scott Brown with NCFIC

The Gospel Coalition seems to continue to make our arguments for us (while still seeking to legitimize, nurse, and resuscitate a failed system). Here is a quote from this article:

" But the thing is, we have to be sure that we don't segregate the youth for our sake and theirs. They are part of the body of Christ too, and no part of the body can remain healthy if one of its members is cut off and put to the side. If we segregate the youth, not only do we lose all they have to teach us, but we also inadvertently teach them that the church is really only for adults---those who are married and have families of their own. And then we wonder why they don't get involved in church as college students or young singles, when in reality, we've been telling them all along that the church isn't yet for them."

To read the entire article go to Gospel Coalition.

(When are these leaders going to get it.  Separating  families does not help anyone, except provide these leaders with jobs.  We need to continue to pray that God will open the eyes of the deceived parents and leaders, so they can see the best way to teach our children and young people is God's way...together as families.) 

Are Family Integrated Churches Just Part of a Passing Fad?

by Scott Brown of NCFIC

It is possible that we are entering into a period where it is "hip" to be age integrated. Even Christianity Today has reported this phenomena: “Is the Era of Age Segmentation Over? A researcher argues that the future of youth ministry will require bringing the generations together." There is a significant groundswell of church leaders who are implementing initiatives and programs that hearken to the principle of age-integrated discipleship. Now, perhaps, age-integration is going to be the new "latest thing."
This is both good news and bad news. On the one hand we clap. On the other hand we are nonplussed. We clap, because age integration is biblical. We are nonplussed because the motivation is often for pragmatic reasons. The church needs to stop thinking, “How can we be hip?” or “How can we discover the next new thing?” or “How do we find the best way to reach the world?” This is the kind of thinking that has gotten the church into so much trouble today. Instead we ought to be asking, “How can we be more biblical – regardless of the culture and the consequences?”
The family-integrated church movement is not a reaction to a cultural problem. It is an action based on Scripture. It is not the next new thing. It is the best old thing. It is both best and old because it came from God not man.