Family Ministry Reconsidered
The buzz word today is “family” ministry. Incorporating the word into the common language of the church has become routine and ordinary. One can’t talk about ministry without talking about family ministry. The word can be found in magazines, curriculum, college classrooms, and even in ministry titles. I can remember about twelve or so years ago changing my title from Children’s Pastor to Pastor to Families with Children. I wanted to be on the cutting edge of this new emphasis that recognized ministry to the whole family is much more glamorous than ministry to just children. I believe my heart was in the right place and my intentions were to try to meet the needs of the entire family while still focusing on the children I had been called to serve. I suppose it was a good start, but my understanding of what it meant to minister to the family was certainly lacking. I think the same may be true today when many hear the phrase “family” ministry.
