A family calling.
A call to ministry doesn’t mean going it alone. Whether we’re talking about our immediate family or the family of God, it takes all of us, knit together in unity by the Holy Spirit, to see the fullest expression of what God intends for us.
“A person has only one body, but it has many parts. Yes, there are many parts, but all those parts are still just one body. Christ is like that too.
…But we were all baptized to become one body through one Spirit. And we were all given the one Spirit.
And a person’s body has more than one part. It has many parts. The foot might say, “I am not a hand, so I don’t belong to the body.” But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. The ear might say, “I am not an eye, so I don’t belong to the body.” But saying this would not make the ear stop being a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell anything. If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But as it is, God put the parts in the body as he wanted them. He made a place for each one. So there are many parts, but only one body.
…But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it. God did this so that our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. If one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part is honored, then all the other parts share its honor.
All of you together are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of that body.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 ERV
What we believe about family + ministry
divine order
We believe that scripture informs us of a divine order for walking out ministry. God first, marriage second, children third, then ministry. Personal relationship with God cannot be superseded by any other relationship, vision, calling, or dream. The strength of the marriage relationship comes from right relationships with the Lord. The strength of the children and family unit is built on the cornerstone of a strong marriage. True kingdom ministry succeeds when we live by the instruction and wisdom of scripture and maintain His order.
family matters
Family is the first unit of ministry established in scripture. Eden could have started with a church, but God chose a man and a woman who were to be fruitful and multiply. Nothing we ever do as ministers of the Gospel will be more important than first ministering to our home. The health and wholeness of our home is a litmus test for our reliance and engagement with the Holy Spirit in the day-to-day. Keeping family a priority, in accordance with God’s Word, makes the whole Body of believers better.
kingdom ministry
There are many gifts at work in the Body of Christ. When we each walk out our purpose within the Church, the kingdom of God is advanced. There is nothing quite like what the Holy Spirit accomplishes when we walk together in unity. Our families should reflect the diversity of the New Testament Church as all of us take what is in our hand and put it to work for the glory of God.