Liberty Theological Seminary

FAMILY TO FAMILY Leaving A Lasting Legacy

A Paper Submitted to Professor David Wheeler In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course Contemporary Evangelism EVAN 565

By Johnny Carter Lynchburg, Virginia June 27, 2013

EVAN 565 Bibliographical Entry Pipes, Jerry, and Victor Lee. Family-to-Family: Leaving a Lasting Legacy. Nashville: North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1999.

Author Information Dr. Pipes is an internationally known speaker who has spoken to millions of people all around the world in local churches, schools, businesses and area wide celebrations. Dr. Pipes is also the Team Leader of Prayer and Spiritual Awakening Team at the North American Mission Board.1 He is the President of Jerry Pipes Production and to his credited he has written four books and he has also produced countless booklets and training processes with more than 18 million copies in print. Dr. Pipes has the honor of being part of a handful of speakers recommended by the Billy Graham Training Center. In the early 90s Dr. Pipes was part of the Presidents War on Drugs task force under former President Bushs Administration. 2Dr. Pipes completed his B.S. at Texas A & M University and he completed his M.A. at Southwestern and his D. Min at Luther Rice. Dr. Pipes and his wife Debra have two children Paige and Josh. The co-author of the book is Victor Lee who is the Minister of Single Adults & Evangelism at First Baptist Concord in Knoxville; TN.3 Lee is a former newspaper journalist who has been writing for 22 years. He has written several hundred articles for various Christian web sites and magazines. As a minister Lees focus has been on discipleship, sports evangelism, singles ministry, purposefully family living, and evangelism strategy. Besides being a minister Lee is
Jared Moore, Family to Family a Review: Families Making a Difference by Victor Lee and Jerry Pipes, Yahoo Voices, December 27, 2008, accessed June 28, 2013, http://voices.yahoo.com/family-family-familiesmaking-difference-victor-2369911.html?cat=9. 2 Ibid 3 Ibid
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EVAN 565 also a Consultant for the North American Mission Board; hes a columnist for Sports Spectrum magazine and he is on the board of several organizations such as Sports Outreach America, the International Sports Federation as well as Passion Ministries. Lee and his wife Judy have an adult daughter and three foster children. Content Summary Dr. Pipes and Victor Lee said that their book Family to Famil y was written for hurried parents who deeply desire meaningful family time, true significance, and long to pass the baton of their faith in Christ on to their children.4 The overall purpose of their book is to help each family find Gods purpose for their family. If our faith in Christ is real, it will usually prove itself at home, in our relationships with those who know us best.5 Throughout the book the reader will constantly see that Dr. Pipes and Victor Lee both believed that all families should have a set of goals and purposes in place that can be passed down from generations to generations. This can only be achieved if parents are obedience to the word of God, which tells parents to direct your children onto the right path, when they are older, they will not leave it,6 (Pro.22: 6). These teaching will not only help your kids but it also does wonders in bringing the family closer together and closer to God. There are additional ministry resources at the end of each chapter along with some practical ministry evangelism ideas and end of chapter questions and activities that any family can use to build biblical principles into their everyday lives.

Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee, Family to Family: Leaving a Lasting Legacy (Nashville: North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1999), 1. 5 Neil S Wilson, ed., The Handbook of Bible Application (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2000), s.v. Family Triumphs. 6 All Bible references are from Holy Bible The Application Study Bible (NLT), Tyndale House Publishers, 2 nd , 2004

EVAN 565 In chapter one the authors talk about how building a healthy family is so important to the structure of the family unit. In todays society everything is at a fast pace everyone is ripping and running with work, school, sports, when the family finally does come together its just for a hot minute then everyone is off and running again. In chapter one they also state God clearly intended for the family to be the most basic social unit of society. Yet, people today cannot even agree on a definition of family.7 The authors go to great lengths to assure the readers that there is nothing wrong with each family member having their own activities, but when those activities interfere with quality family time it basically creates an atmosphere where the family knows what each other does, but does not know each other.8 The author also goes to great lengths to show the readers how to create quality family time the way God intended the family unit to be. The only way a family will be healthily is by spending quantity and quality time together. Its just like our walk with God the only way we can grow spirituality is by spending quality time in the presence of God. In chapter two the authors helps the family to develop a mission statement. The purpose for the family mission statement is to serve as a centerline and guardrails for your family on the road through life.9 When putting together a mission statement serious thought needs to go into the statement it just cant be a set of set of words thrown together and it has no meaning. The family mission statement should be a description of a lifestyle everyone pledges to uphold and that is consistent with the Word of God. If you serve Christ, you serve his purpose10 These guidelines will help each member remember the commitment they made to God and each other to hold on to their integrity and not to compromise their faith or their moral values. A mission
7 8

Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee, 6 Ibid, 9 9 Ibid, 27 10 Ibid, 27

EVAN 565 statement is saying that this family together with God will strive to be the best that we can be and together this family will be a beacon of light to the world. In chapter three the authors talk about the important of passing the baton onto the next generations. The bible says, Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done (Ps.22: 30-31). The next generation is depending on our faithfulness today. As parents we teach our children about the Lord, so they will teach their children and their childrens children. As parents if we fail to tell our children about the Lord, we may well be breaking the chain of Gods influence for the future generations to come. As parents we must view our children and all the young people we meet as Gods future leaders. If we are faithful in sharing God with our kids we may be affecting the future generations to come. Dr. Pipes and Victor Lee states that healthy families pass the baton of faith in Christ on to the next generation. It is not the sole responsibility of the church or anyone else to win our children to the Lord and mentor them spiritually; it is the parents job.11 This chapter also includes 12 things parents should pray over your family. In chapter four the authors talk about getting out of the house and going into the world. Now that the family structure has been established and the family statement has been written and the baton is ready to be passed on to the next generation there is still work to be done. Home has been taken care of now its time for the family to go out into the world and tell those that are lost about the salvation of Jesus Christ. Dr. Pipes and Victor Lee state that healthy families spend quality time around Gods purposes. If we truly want our children to accept the gospel, then our

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Ibid, 43

EVAN 565 commitment to Christ must spill over those around us who do not know Christ.12 God views lost people as being of such great value that they deserve an all out effort to bring them into a relationship with him. 13Just as Jesus went out into the world so should families who claim to be followers of Christ. Your family can live its faith in full view of your friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.14 In chapter five the authors talks about how reaching out to the world and combing the effects of the church can work hand and hand .You are not necessarily taking the people to the church but the church is coming to the world by way of a church sponsored block party, video party or maybe a family mission trip. Theres a saying you give people food everyone will come and sad as it may sound it is true. I have been to many church picnics and block parties when people will come out of the woodwork for some free food. An evangelistic block party involves identifying a neighborhood and providing a meal and program. People will come to an event of this type who would never come to church.15 This event can be used to not only feed the people natural food but you can also feed them spiritual food. Attendances at a neighborhood block party gives the church an open door for continued ministry, evangelism, and follow up.16 Evaluation Family-to-Family is a great book for every family. The book not only gives scriptural references for each topic it also provides some great analogies that aides the readers while they are reading. Most importantly the book provides exercises that the family can do and

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Ibid, 70 Dave Earley & David Wheeler, Evangelism Is--: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, Tenn.: B&H Academic, 2010), 37. 14 Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee, 71 15 Ibid, 92 16 Ibid, 93

EVAN 565 it also provides additional references that can be used to strengthen the family unit. Dr. Pipes and Victor Lee know that there are no perfect families and each family has their own issues to deal with. This book provides the necessary tools to help the family deal with each issue from a biblical standpoint and it shows how it all starts with the parents. Parents are to be the spiritual examples for their kids. This is a most read book for all families one you began reading it will be hard to put it down.

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