Anna Kruger

FAM 421
Fall 2016
Philosophy of Family Life
My operational definition of family is a group of people that are related by
blood, marriage, or adoption. The Biblical definition of family begins with Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:24 reads, That is why a man leaves his father
and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. It is clear here
that a family is composed of a man and a woman united in lifelong marriage and
the children they have. The Bible also reveals the importance of family lines and
tracing/ sharing things from generation to generation. Based on this, the Biblical
definition of family also includes other persons related by blood or marriage.These
groups of people come in many different sizes, from many different backgrounds,
and all carry different baggage. I hope to serve them by helping them all
understand they are loved and redeemed by God and empower them all to take
hold of the roles they have been called to by Him.
One of the best parts of being a Certified Family Life Educator in a church
setting is that the Biblical definition of family is also my operational definition of
family for use in the workplace. The Biblical definition of family is exclusive
compared to todays cultural definition of family; While culture includes whoever
one feels is their family, the Bible speaks more to bloodlines and lifelong marriage
ties as the guidelines for what a family is and what a family is not. However, as a
youth worker, I think it will be important to realize that the students I will be working
with may hold a more cultural view of family. Similar to other situations we

approach with a lens of Biblical truth, I will strive to be aware of these

circumstances without compromising Biblical values.

The aim of Family Life Education is preventative care; Family Life Education
exists to educate and equip families with the tools they need to weather the storms
of life. Such education and equipment happens before storms strike, as opposed to
other family services, such as therapy, that aim to pick up the pieces after a storm
has hit.
The client of Family Life Education are people across the lifespan in any stage
of life. The scope of Family Life Education extends from engaging teenagers in
conversations on how to pick a future spouse, to educating parents in raising
children in different developmental stages, to spending time with the elderly as they
navigate retirement and the physical and emotional changes that come with aging.
The content of Family Life Education includes the skills, knowledge, and
attitudes needed to navigate life as a family. A good example of the employment of
all three areas of content could be observed in a parenting class. Such a class might
include skills training in washing and changing a newborn. A different class for older
parents might offer knowledge and insights into the developmental changes
physically and psychologically as children transition into adolescents. Running
through it all, despite the fact no family is perfect, familys attitudes are empowered
to know they are able to be their best and have somewhere to turn in times of need.
Other areas of content within Family Life Education include human sexuality,
resource management, family law and public policy, and human growth and
development across the lifespan.

Focusing on empowering families in todays culture is vital to the hope of a

better future. Family is something that every person has in common, no matter their
culture, religion, or economic status. Not every persons family looks the same, but
every person has some connection to some sort of family. By empowering families
with skills, knowledge, and attitudes to thrive as a family unit, we create strong
families. One generation of a strong family will spill into more generations of strong
families as children take the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they learned and
observed in their home to their future homes. Strong families create strong
communities, which create strong societies, which create a strong world. In the
words of PC Matthew, a Family Life professional serving families in India, God shows
us the importance of empowered families by working through their brokenness to
bring change and restoration to the world over and over the Bible. I firmly believe
that God is using families to do the same in todays world.
Family Life Education equips families to live out their purpose from God.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 reads, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when
you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as
symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the
doorframes of your houses and on your gates. God makes it clear in this passage
and others throughout the Bible that faith is designed to be passed down and
taught in the family. Families are called to teach their children the laws and grace of
God at every opportunityto never stop proclaiming that He is God! No matter if
they are in their home or walking along the road, waking up or going to sleep,

they are to continuously teach their children. Therefore, the reason Family Life
Education exists for me as a Director of Family Life Education is to equip parents
with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to be the primary faith providers in their
household to help their family thrive throughout the lifespan.
In creating a vision for Family Life Education in the church, it is important to
first define Biblical pillars for the ministry to be built upon. The Biblical pillars for my
vision of Family Life ministry correlate directly with the ideals Grow, Give to Glorify,
and Go. First, 2 Peter 3:17- 18 reads: You therefore, beloved, knowing this
beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people
and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
These verses emphasize the importance of growing close to Christ in both grace
and knowledge. We must stand firm on the foundation of Christ and not be swayed
by what the world and Satan try to tell us. Second, Matthew 5: 16 reads In the
same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. This verse relates to the idea of
Give to Glorify; God calls us use the gifts he has given us to benefit others and bring
glory to him. We must always keep our focus on bringing glory and honor to God in
everything we do. Thirdly, Matthew 28: 19-20 reads: Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And
behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. This, the Great Commission,
tells us to share the Gospel with the entire world. This relates to the idea of Go;
families are a part of many different circles of influence throughout their lifetimes.
They must be equipped to share the Gospel with all nations.

The vision of Family Life ministry is to equip and empower families to thrive in
each of these Bibilical pillars: Growing, Giving, and Going. Programming and
activities to accomplish these goals will be woven into every ministry in the church
instead of being a separate island. Activities and programs will be designed to bring
youth and their families, nuclear families as well as church families, together. To
grow together, students and families will take part in family Bible studies, family
take-home devotions, intergenerational small groups, and intergenerational prayer
partners. Family Bible studies, or lessons taught across the span of ages in the
church, as well as family take-home devotions, will create a platform for parents to
begin discussions with their students at home about faith. Intergenerational prayer
partners and small groups will provide a network of people within the church to
encourage students in their walk with Christ. They will know that there are people
praying for them and genuinely care about them in their church family. Next, in
order to allow families to serve together, there will be opportunities to use spiritual
gifts in the church, such as helping lead music, usher, or read scripture during
service, learn new skills from adults in the church, adopting a family in need in the
community for Christmas, and putting together Thanksgiving baskets. Instead of
putting together a church cookbook, a seminar might be held for students to learn
to cook things from adults in the church. Adopting a family in need for Christmas
and putting together Thanksgiving baskets allow every member of the family, young
or old, to participate in service and glorify God together. Lastly, families will go into
the community by inviting other family friends to church game nights or just
participating in community events.
A Family Life professional is a huge benefit to a church congregation. Family
Life is a shift of perspective from ministering to the individual, to ministering to the

entire family. This in turn moves the church into a supporting role to faith formation
that happens in the household. The traditional model of ministry in churches is to
isolate each area of lifespan development. There may be a childrens ministry, that
then transitions students to youth ministry, that then transitions to young adult
ministry, that then ends up in general adult ministry, and finally elderly ministry.
These ministries might meet for an hour or two a week, plus time for worship that
typically brings everyone together. The problem that arises is change cannot
happen in that time frame and constant change. The one constant through it all is
the family. The family will always be the biggest influence on the individual. When
we focus on equipping families to thrive and grow in faith as a family unit, the
model that God intended for us, the ministry is no longer church centered, family
supported, but family centered, church supported. The resulting strong families
create strong families for generations to come and THAT can change the world.