Book Review (1)

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Jan 9, 2024

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1 “Family Ministry and the Church: A Leader’s Guide For Ministry Through Families” Book Review Mary Beth Oliver Mississippi College October 4th, 2022
2 Summary of Concepts “Family Ministry and the Church” is a book written by Dr. Chris Shirley, who serves as Associate Pastor and Program Director for the Master of Arts in Discipleship and Master of Arts in Student Ministry at Dallas Baptist University, as a leader’s guide for ministry through families. Shirley provides a guide to establish a framework for family ministry inside and outside of the church, and gives leader’s the opportunity to discover the role of the church and how healthy family ministry depends on effective disciple-making that brings people to a close relationship with Christ. Right off the bat, Shirley states that “the church and the family are inherently connected to one another, and the well-being of one is dependent on the other”. (7) Establishing that church and family ministry coincide, Shirley distinguishes what he believes the four corners of family ministry, which are as follows: family, church, ministry, and disciple. Family ministry starts by defining and upholding a scriptural understanding of the meaning, purpose, and mission of family. Another element to family ministry is that church is a mirror for the home, and the home reflects the example of the church. Using a multitude of families from the Bible, such as Abraham and Jacob, Shirley demonstrates that the church is a place where the family learns how to be a family God’s way. Expanding on his stance on the family reflecting the church, Shirley examines different ways the church can teach commitment through meaningful membership, church covenants, and intergenerational focus. The church also demonstrates unity and how it is essential for family strength and the church. Shirley states, “The unity and survival of the church depends on disciples who are committed to the Lord and who consider others as more important than
3 yourselves”. (51) Unity happens through encouraging, forgiving, accepting, serving, praying, and submitting to one another. Not only is the church important for families, but families are equally as important to the church. Shirley voices that the family creates the opportunity for “a station for relational evangelism, a base for transformational discipleship, a source for intergenerational relationships, and a satellite for ministry outreach”. (69) However, churches and families need a leader. Shirley's viewpoint on the role of the pastor is to craft the mission, develop a strategy, champion the cause, and resource the people. Pastor’s are not the only leader’s though. Parents are also the key, and the key to parents leading their children is to have a successful marriage. When marriages are strong, they can accomplish a great deal. They have a much greater ability to think outside of themselves and can more easily meet the needs of others. Fragile marriages, on the other hand, can cause loss of individual and couple identity, and they do not have energy for much else outside of their problems. Family ministry is best done when marriages are growing and are a picture of Christ’s love for us. Not only our parents, but also our grandparents can be vital leaders. Activities such as studying God’s word together, sharing testimonies, tithing, and worshiping together are key elements to family ministry. To wrap up his book, Shirley biblically responds to common family issues, the first one being to define what a family is. All families look different today, but he encourages them to hold fast to the word, and to “teach the ideal, but minister to the reality”. The second issue he discusses is upholding marriage. The dream of marriage is fading and it is no longer as sacred as it once was. His response is “the church should be known for their unwavering” dedication to encouraging, establishing, and equipping men and women to stay true to their promises and experience God’s blessing in marriage”. Among all the other issues he discusses, Shirley
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