What is it worth?

Phil, Julie, Josh, Carol, and Jill Sallee (before sons-in-laws)

What is the purpose of the NBFamilies blog?

The purpose is multifaceted:

• Education: The Family Ministry model of discipleship is a fairly rare concept among churches. Most churches do their best to support families with willing volunteers. Larger churches can hire staff, but the primary responsibility of the staff is directed toward the target group: preschool, children, middle school, and teenage students. Unfortunately, many churches simply do what they have always done whether it is working or not. New Beginning’s Family Equipping Ministry Model is not just another add-on to our present ministries.

  The family-equipping ministry is a process of realigning New Beginning’s proclamation and practices so that parents—especially fathers—are acknowledged, trained, and held accountable as persons primarily responsible for their kid’s discipleship. The Family Equipping Ministry Model does not do away with staff. Instead, this model reorients every ministry to partner with parents in the task of discipleship.

  New Beginnings Family Ministry Pastoral Staff, all fathers with children themselves, is devoted to empowering parents to influence their families to grow deep, vibrant faith. The links/tabs above cast the vision for how families can effectively engage their kids.

  • FAITH TALK • FAITH WALK •
  • FAITH MAP • FAITH MISSION •

  If you are a parent, you should learn to utilize and fine tune these skills “on-the-fly.” Though the days seem long when your kids are young and heavily dependent upon you. Or you can’t wait for your gnarly teenagers to finish distancing themselves from you their embarrassingly dorky parents. Take it from me, those day are done before you realize it and your one opportunity to influence their faith is seriously diminished.

• Inspirational: Family Ministry is not supposed to be hard, mechanical, or methodical. Although the parenting skills seem like methods that can appear to tedious to the newcomer. Nothing can be further from the truth. The inspirational nature of effective family ministry should be like lovely music or stunningly beautiful art. Making disciples, especially with those you love more than life itself, should deeply stir your soul.
  • Hearing stories of kids and parents having genuine faith conversation,
  • Listening to you kids pray prayers from their hearts,
  • Watching your kids embrace godly character strengths (humility, courageous, honest, dependable, thankful, responsible, content, generous, purity, compassionate, wisdom, enthusiastic, optimistic, obedient, agreeable, committed, etc,)
  • Enjoying the blessed, holy fellowship of the Holy Spirit in your marriage (while your kids observe),
  • Experiencing the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) like family glue,
  • Laughing with joy with your family as they experiences the thrill of being used by God,
  • Crying tears of delight which express profound fulfillment when you realize your kids are now young adults with vibrant, abiding faith.
  • Appreciating that your family is a part of an eternal movement, God’s mission, when you hold your grandchild tightly, praying that the faith continues through the generations.

  Can you remain stoic when you hear how God is impacting a family in a powerful way. Why can’t this be your family? Is that a lump in your throat?

• Connection :Parents need each other. New Beginnings needs to create a family ministry community that celebrates family wins together, grieves family losses together, and refuses to allow passive family neglect together. Family ministry families, of all ages, should lock arms and provide a culture of prayer, encouragement, accountability, protection, and honor. Now that is connection!

  Our family pastors are encouraged to be transparent in their daily blogging. We (Me, Terry, Jeff, Matt, and Sankie) want you to know us. We want to know you! We want you to know that we don’t have everything figured out. We struggle with the same family problems as everyone else (crammed schedules, school stress, fits thrown, cranky attitudes, etc.). We are with you in this journey. We need you and we a praying that you will agree to be partners with us to change the world one life, one marriage, and one family at a time.

What is it worth?