The definition of family extends far beyond the nostalgic scenes featured in Norman Rockwell paintings. The concept of family has changed, embracing a spectrum of structures and experiences, not all healthy or biblical. Many families today are broken and hurting, producing barriers to the faith. For example, young adults with abusive fathers struggle to relate to our Heavenly Father as grace-filled and loving. In a society where broken families are common, the church needs to consider family outside the traditional description, but within the biblical prescription.
Today’s family is messy, falling far short of the idyllic imagery of “the good ole days.” When pastors describe family or family ministry, do not expect them to fit the mold of a mom, dad, two kids, and a goldfish. Though not everyone is called to marriage or parenthood, these terms hold value because God established family as humanity’s cornerstone. Single college students away from home may not consider themselves part of a family in their current season of life, just as older adults whose kids have left home may no longer feel the family label fits. How do we help them understand they are all part of family ministry?
At D6 Family Ministry, we address inquiries from those who feel detached from family ministry, whether college students or childless couples. They question their place within the concept of family. Scripture explains that upon embracing faith, one finds his or her place in God’s family, a bond stronger than biology, where we are all His children, adopted into a divine kinship.
Adults without children may reflect various circumstances, yet all remain integral to God’s design. While not everyone will follow the path of parenthood, including everyone remains crucial. Churches thrive by embracing all generations and seasons of life, ensuring no one feels alienated from family ministry due to parental status. Adults without their own children can profoundly impact the younger generation through mentorship, embracing the adoptive spirit of family ministry. When adults take interest in the kids in the church or community through prayer, coaching, teaching, volunteering, and more, they help shape the worldview of those young people.
Paul did so with Timothy and Titus, as Eli did with Samuel, and Mordecai with Esther. We describe this kind of family ministry as an adoptive model, where people more spiritually mature influence younger believers or those who need Christ.
Regardless of personal situations, everyone belongs to some biological family and, more significantly, becomes part of God’s family when he or she accepts Christ.
At D6 Family Ministry, we view family ministry and generational discipleship as biblically inclusive concepts, unbound by age or biological ties. Ministry extends beyond church walls and involves seeking and connecting with those around us, thereby weaving the fabric of a broader, more biblically inclusive family.
Your church may not have children or teens, but your ministry is not limited to worship services. We are in a day when people no longer seek out church to find Christ. We must, instead, seek them, connect with them, and over time, influence them toward the faith.
Inside the D6 family, every story has a home, and defining family extends beyond the leaves of genealogy to the roots of our faith, where every branch is nurtured by God’s design and flourishes within the community of believers — beyond biology.
