Families with Children and Teens
The fellowship of GRBC is made up of families. A family is defined as a “collective body of persons who live in one house and under one head or manager; a household, including parents, children…”
1 In an age where the centrality of the family is minimized and the autonomy of the individual is worshipped, we seek to restore and preserve a biblical view of family and church life. The church is a covenantal community (a family) made up of many families.
The church is not a professional institution that either competes with or replaces the family. Rather, the church is a “spiritual family” that benefits from godly families and helps cultivate and encourage godly families. Therefore, we teach parents to evangelize and disciple their children and their neighbors. We emphasize the ministry of hospitality, family worship, catechism, and family discipleship. Thus, instead of placing the burden on paid professionals to “do the work of the ministry,” we equip the saints to do it.
2
God’s Plan for Raising a Generation of Children for His Glory
God's primary means of raising children for His own glory is the family. It is especially the father's responsibility to ensure that his children are raised in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
God has ordained that this privilege of training and disciplining our children be done by families within the context of a local church family.
GRBC is Covenantal in How We Worship Together.
1. This means that we gather together as families during the worship and preaching time rather than separate the children and young people.
2. This means that we will be understanding of the normal "noise" that comes along with younger children present in the corporate gatherings of the church as they are learning to practice self-control and appropriate reverence.
3. This means that we will provide various means of helping parents, particularly fathers, learn how to teach and train their children according to the Scriptures.
4. This means that our people must live together as a spiritual family that provides "spiritual fathers" to the fatherless and "spiritual husbands" to the widows and singles among us.
1. Definition taken from the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster.
2. This statement is taken from Grace Family Baptist Church www.gracefamilybaptist.net.
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