Church and Family: God’s tools for transformation

This week I want to set up where the Spring issue of LifeMatters is going to go.

There are two god-given institutions in our lives: the family and the church. That’s it. These two institutions are essential elements in the lives of Christ-followers, and I would argue they are under stronger attack now than ever before. Most sitcoms—at least the funny ones—have turned the family into a joke and we all laugh along. Our culture trivializes the original design of the family and pushes to change its structure. Marriages are falling apart all around yet no one bats an eye. And then there’s the church. Churches have been relegated to their corner of ineffectiveness and are regarded as relics of the past better served as museums than houses of hope.

God is the One who created the family unit and it’s not up to us to define its structure. He is the One who established the church and gave her a mission. It is through the family and the church that God is reaching out to a lost world and sharing His story of redemption. That’s why it’s so important for us to value His design and intentions regarding our family and church structures.

Our goal over the next three months is to understand and fully commit to God’s purpose for the church and for marriage. Both institutions are foundational elements of our faith and a refresher course is much needed. Be open to what He has to teach you and be willing to submit your views on church and marriage to God’s design.

With this direction in mind, I’d like to ask you to describe your thoughts on the church. What is one word you’d use to describe your current church? What is one word your community might use to describe your church? We’ll address the family later in the coming weeks, so for now let’s focus on THE church and how we can begin moving away from the ineffective buildings we see dotting our communities and toward a life transforming group of people living and loving our world as Christ. Spend a lot of time over the next couple weeks thinking about areas of your church or ministry that are ruled purely by tradition and how those areas can be redefined by transformation. Be open to what God teaches and inspires you to do during this study, you may be surprised to see what Church could look like.