Family Lifeshaping

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From earliest times, God has given dads and moms the honored role of nurturing faith in the hearts of their children.  They do this by explaining, modeling, and discussing the teachings of the Bible in the context of everyday family life.

Moses puts it like this in Deuteronomy 6:7,  “Repeat [God’s words] again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”

The goal of this instruction is not to control the child or foster Christian morality or project the image of a healthy family.  The goal is to cultivate within the child a heart for God.  It involves nurturing our son or daughter’s affection for God.  Jesus called it the most important command in the whole Bible and it, too, comes from Deuteronomy 6:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (v. 5).

Convinced that our children are designed to be captivated and satisfied by God, we know that if they do not experience Him in this way they will instinctively pursue fulfillment in created things.  They will exchange the truth about God’s satisfying glory for substitutes that will never deliver lasting happiness.

The Bible identifies the family as God’s primary discipleship environment.  This is where our children are supposed to learn what it means to follow Jesus.

The Bible also teaches that the church has a supportive role to play in helping equip parents to do what God has charged them to do (Ephesians 4:12).  We call this Family Lifeshaping.

THE CONCEPT:  Lifeshaping is a way of studying the Bible so that we don’t just understand what it says but actually live it out.  It is a way of understanding life.  God is the Potter and we are the clay.  God is shaping us to become more and more like His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:28-29).

This is our prayer for our children…that they would so come to know, love, and trust Jesus Christ that following Him becomes the metanarrative of their lives.

THE PROCESS:  Parents meet with a Lifeshaping Coach to design a discipleship plan for each child.  The coach provides counsel, encouragement, suggests resources, and commits to regularly pray for the parents and child.  Frequency of meetings is determined by the needs of each family (initially once per month).  Parents renew their involvement annually.

THE OUTCOME:  Children who follow Jesus.  Parents who follow Jesus.  Families that follow Jesus.  A church that follows Jesus.  Joy.  Peace.  Freedom.  Faith.  Hope.  Love.


Our Family Lifeshaping ministry carries certain commitments on the part of both coaches and participants.  For this reason, we ask that you sign up for this particular ministry.  If you would like more information, and/or would like us to connect you with a coach, please contact Pastor Chris () or Amanda Sands ().

 

***Even for those not enrolled in our Family Lifeshaping coaching ministry, we have Lifeshaping classes available for all ages on Sunday mornings from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.***