Following are several excerpts
(Ted Seago) came up with a model called the "family integrated church," where Christians worship, learn and pray as families. Church is a place where believers come together for corporate worship, but the teaching of theology and doctrine to children is centered in the home.
"When you're talking about a family integrated church, you're just looking at a church that has brought everything back under the guidance of the family," Seago said.
In their church, Fathers ..serve communion to their families and pray over them. When a child becomes old enough to accept Christ, Seago's invitation is not for them to walk the aisle but to discuss it at home with their parents. Dads baptize their children.
Grace Community teaches that fathers are to be the spiritual leaders of their home. In the family integrated church, no adult except the parent is a significant influence
on a youth's spiritual life.
"Men are called to lead their families," Seago said. "They are the priest of the home."
Women are instructed in "biblical" roles for wives, including remaining in the home during their child-rearing years. A lot of the women members have college degrees but choose to "put work aside in this season of their life" so they can be home with
their children.
Families stay together for Bible studies, worship and fellowship, though optional childcare is provided for younger children and babies. It is not acceptable for a child to sit outside the family. If a child visits without a mom or dad, he or she sits with another family. "We do everything together as a family," Seago said. "We don't
separate."
Church members eat together every Sunday in a "fellowship meal."
Started by five home schooling families 14 months ago, today there are about 50 families in Grace Community Church. Members include Voddie Baucham, an author
and conference leader who in 2005 co-sponsored a Southern Baptist Convention
resolution contending that parents, and not the government, are responsible for
educating their children.
"Leading our own children to Christ, that's our greatest mission field," Seago said. "If you have children at home, that's your mission field. That's your small-group ministry."
While the model appeals most naturally to families with children, several older women, mostly widows, have joined, as have some younger single men. Several older couples have visited and decided the church wasn't for them.While all the current families homeschool, Seago is hoping to reach some more
"non-home schooling families that we can minister to."
by Bob Allen, managing editor of EthicsDaily.com
1 comment:
We attend a church like this in that we have family integrated worship. Our children are with us all the time and sit through preaching and participate in communion (when dad's deem it appropriate). Our pastor baptizes the children and serves communion to the congregation. I can't tell you what a difference this has made for our family. In our early church going years, we did not attend a church like this and I always had trouble leaving the kids in the nursery or in childrens church. I'm so happy that we found our church and I could not imagine a different way of worshiping than together, as a family, before our Lord.
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