Family-Integrated Model–What I Like

This is a very interesting model that is presented by Paul Renfro in Perspectives on Family Ministry. This model eliminates any programing that separates the church into age groups and makes everyone work together. The spiritual leadership of the church is shifted to the father in each family. It is a very radical view of family ministry, but there are some values of this model that I like.

First, I like and agree with fathers being the spiritual leaders of the family. This makes fathers not only lead the family spiritually, but be more involved in the lives of his children. Many fathers today are not involved in their children's lives and we are beginning to see the consequences of those actions. I like how this view intentionally involves the father in his family.

I also like this model’s emphasis on using the whole congregation every Sunday. Many churches use only “certified” people to do certain jobs. But with the family-integrated model, every member of the church is working to prepare and run the service on Sunday morning.

I also like how this model is intentional about not being spiritual busy work. No programing is used that will inhibit the family from operating like it should. I think this is something that many churches ignore.

Why Youth Ministers?

Chapter 2 of Perspectives builds the idea that the spiritual training of children is the responsibility of the parents. Parents are to raise and train their children in the ways of the Lord and to obey his commands. This is the standard that God laid out in the Old Testament when he was creating the culture of Israel: parents teach their children about God. Many of today’s parents believe that it is the responsibility of the youth minister to raise and train their children in the ways of the Lord. But that is comparative to hiring someone to date your significant other: it doesn’t work that way.

So, if parents are to be responsible for the spiritual training of their children, what is the purpose of youth ministers? This position was created to train youth spiritually. But if that is the responsibility of the parents, why are youth ministers needed?

I think that youth ministers are to help in the training of youth; to be a resource for both the youth and the parents to take advantage. Youth ministers are training in youth psychology and how family issues and structures impact spiritual and developmental growth. Not all parents understand this, and neither do youth. I believe that the youth ministers job is to help parents raise their children by being a resource for information and counseling. It is also to reinforce in youth the training they have received their parents. Youth ministers are parents are to be partners in training youth in the Lord.