Family ministry

True humanness reaches its fulfillment in Christ. It is faith that enables one to appreciate fully that gift of humanness, its value and its meaning, as well as to realize the marital-familial vocation. Testimony given to Christ in the Christian family takes on a more visible form as it harmonizes with the mature testimony of humanness. An important role of testimony in the family expresses itself in the objectives of this testimony. The testimony of humanness expresses itself in the task of building a community of persons and lasting marriage, respect towards persons and the human body, and commitment to maturing love and the realization of parenthood. Testimony of faith is connected with the task of professing God’s Word, realization of one’s baptismal priesthood, love and apostolate. Sacramental grace and prayer enable spouses and other family members to fully
discover and realize these tasks.

According to one survey, most Christian parents agree with the biblical principle that says, “Parents are the primary disciple-makers for their children (Deut 4:9; Eph 6:4).”  Yet the most prevalent model for family ministry in our churches today is called the segmented-programmatic or educational-programmatic approach. This model follows the secular model of education and groups people together based upon their age and attempts to meet their needs through the work of a minister who specializes in ministering to their children’s age-specific needs.  Unfortunately, this model contributes to the generation gap by making it possible for youth to have very little interaction with Christians outside their own age group. This model may also be accountable for the churchwide problem of parents who are abdicating their responsibilities to disciple their own children in favor of letting the “professionals” do it.
Three different family ministry models have emerged over the past couple of decades in response to concerns with the segmented-programmatic approach: (1) family-based, (2) family-integrated, and (3) family-equipping.  It is the position of this paper that the family-equipping model is the best strategy for my home church because it resolves problems with the segmented-programmatic without creating new problems and because the model is easily transferrable. In order to defend this position, all three ministry models will be briefly surveyed, a plan for implementing the family-equipping model in my home church will be outlined, and two possible objections to the family-equipping model will be examined and answered.

The title of this article is that of a course I was asked to teach, and which I had the privilege and pleasure to do so, at a seminary in Asia in January 2020. This article contains highlights of the course together with related and additional details on what is needed for the most effective Christian education in churches and Christian schools throughout the world in the 21st century and beyond.

Gereja adalah kumpulan orang percaya yang terdiri dari keluarga-keluarga. Gereja tidak bisa bertumbuh dan berpengaruh dalam pelayanannya bila keluarga-keluarga di dalamnya tidak memiliki spiritualitas yang baik. Terlebih lagi pada keluarga di tingkat pelayan/pemimpin gereja, yang menjadi sorotan keteladanan dan ladang pembuktian bagi integritas hidup pelayan gereja untuk menjangkau dan memuridkan keluarga-keluarga jemaat. Pelayan gereja dan keluarganya, perlu memiliki spiritualitas yang baik. Di tengah kesibukan pelayan gereja, mereka harus tetap meanjalankan fungsi sebagai pemimpin spiritual keluarganya. Gereja perlu peduli dan bekerja sama membantu para pelayan gereja di tengah kegiatan pelayanan dan kehidupan berkeluarganya agar bisa membentuk keluarga yang bertumbuh imannya melalui program-program pelayanan khusus. Keluarga pelayan gereja yang kuat akan menciptakan regenerasi kepemimpinan, perluasan penjangkauan pelayanan, dan pemenuhan mandat misi Kristus.

An essay in the book Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator (ed.), "The Church We Want: African Catholics Look to Vatican III." Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2016 and Nairobi: Acton Publishers, 2016.  This essay treats:

            1. "Be Bold and Creative."
            2. "Rethinking the Structures and Styles of Governing and Decision-making in the Catholic Church."
            3. "From the Perspective of SCCs in Eastern Africa."
            4. “Pastoral Solutions to the Two Meanings of the Eucharistic Famine in Africa.”
            5.  "Integrating African Process and African Content."
            6. "Relevance for the Catholic Church in North America and Europe."
            7. "Let Us Journey Ahead Together."

Though youth ministry has benefited from an increase in theological inquiry over the past decade, there remains disagreement as to how to conceptualize and implement modern understandings of practical theology. The issue of practical theology methodology, especially within youth ministry, raises questions concerning its own epistemic and theological foundations. Rejecting an application-driven process, many practical theologians seek to offer a process that is distinctive as its own discipline. This paper seeks to evaluate modern youth ministry conceptions of practical theology, as well as their influences, and provide a critical assessment of their viability. Further this paper seeks to then trace the influence of related current trends and the subsequent implications those trends have for practicing youth ministry.

The nine AMECEA Countries are preparing for the III Extraordinary World Synod of Bishops on "The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization" to take place in Rome from 5-19 October, 2014. In Eastern Africa Small Christian Communities (SCCs) are part of the consultation process and answered 11 of the 39 questions in the poll. Research on the 160,000 SCCs in Eastern Africa reveals that SCCs elect lay ministers/animators/ coordinators for specific groups such as couples (married and engaged), youth and children and for specific pastoral ministries such as Catechesis, Justice and Peace, Religious Education, Sacraments and Spiritual/Religious Formation. A SCC is a communion of families. The SCC is an important support group for families and promotes a family culture. The SCC is both a place and a path for pastoral care and evangelization. This praxis of SCCs in Africa is contributing to the development of the theology of the Church as Family of God.

On a recent podcast, Carl Trueman, the Paul Woolley Professor of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, posited that 1 Timothy 4:12 may be the most incomprehensible verse in all of Scripture amidst our contemporary context. He states that within a culture that is so enamored with youth culture, it would be inconceivable for the church, let alone society-at-large, to despise those who actually are young. Broadly speaking, culture within the United States has an obsession with youth. Within this youth culture is the intrinsic need to rebel, especially against basic authorities. Phenomena such as extended adolescence and the juvenilization of American Christianity (Bergler, 2012) bring these problems immediately to the church's doorstep, if not inside. Yet, in our ministry to families, and youth in particular, we often herald 1 Timothy 4:12 as our ministerial mantra. We encourage youth to "let no one despise them," assuming a division and rebellion between youth and the rest of culture. While we rightfully encourage youth to be prepared for possible coming derision , we must hold this exhortation in accordance to Paul's full teaching. That is to say, we must hold 1 Timothy 4:12 in tandem with the varied statements in 1 Timothy 5. It is the aim of this article to place 1 Timothy 4:12 in its correct context of Paul's admonition. In doing so, it will hold a biblical understanding of 1 Timothy 4:12 up and against a prevailing cultural interpretation of the text. Further, the article will explore how to keep our youth and family ministries from cultural syncretism by balancing ministries between an appreciation for youth and a respect for elder authority. This will conclude with the practical implications found therein.

This paper describes efforts by the Catholic Bishops' of England and Wales to care pastorally for Catholics who are divorced-remarried, beginning with historical context, followed by current challenges highlighted in the pre-Synod consultations, and concluding with some indications of the reception of Amoris Laetitia. This is a paper given at the international INTAMS symposium "A Point of No Return? Amoris Laetitia on Discernment and Conscience for Divorced and Remarried Couples" at the Catholic University Leuven, 25-27 October 2016 and published in the symposium proceedings 'INTAMS Studies 2'.

A paper given to delegates of the European Bishops' Conferences at a colloquium held at the John Paul II Institute, Pontifical Lateran University, Rome in March 2014. This example describes how the Roman Catholic bishops of England and Wales have responded practically to the needs uncovered by listening to families in 2014: family-friendly parishes, family spirituality and supporting families in passing on faith in God.

The work establishes the magisterial and theological foundations for an understanding of the family as domestic church. From the Second Vatican Council on, this 255-page book examines the official teachings of the Catholic Church on the subject and analyze the identity, mission and spirituality of the Christian household. The volume intents to help readers to deepen knowledge and support their ministry with families.

Orphan Care in the 21st Century brings with it potential problems for families.  Though intentions may be pure, adoptive and foster parents need to be made aware of the unique challenges in today's orphan care.  Pastors and parents can benefit perusing the topic presented in this paper.

This paper explores my experience of the synod process in general, my hopes and expectations, the positive outcomes for families and the priorities for the Church in the years to come.  I note a need to revisit the 1980 synodal definition of family ministry and therefore the baptismal vocation of all. , How can we concretely help each other to realise the ways God is calling us to holiness, through our loving service of one another and of God, in and through our family lives? What knowledge, skills and understanding do we need to reach out and accompany families other than our own and how are we to develop these? Can we face up to and heal the very deep anxieties that frequently pervade our Church conversations on family, in the parish, the deanery and the diocese? The temptations noted by Francis give us, I think, a good starting point for discerning some of these anxieties, but more investment is called for in adult formation for lay participation in ministry and also for collaborative models of ministry.
INTAMS Review 22/1 (2016)