The 2010-2011 program year will be Faith Church’s second year of transitioning into an integrated “Family Ministries” approach. This means that we not only offer the full extent of excellent age-specific programming that would be desired for preschoolers, elementary-age children, middle school students and high school students, but that we also actively support, equip and encourage families to live out and speak about their faith in the home. Teaching the faith to our children is primarily a responsibility God has given to parents. We believe that God has given the family and the church different and complementary roles, and that our children will be most attracted to a life of following Christ when the home and the church join together to help people grow closer to God and to each other.

Our children’s relationship with God is the most critical thing they can have in this world. The culture that surrounds us is an incredibly powerful force that is exerting its influences on our children throughout the week and is increasingly drawing them away from God. Both the family and the church are losing ground, and partnering together is the best way to amplify our influence. Our most important job—parents and church—is to do everything we possibly can to ensure that God is at the top of all our children’s loyalties. We need to fight for our children’s hearts.

The norm for passing on the faith to the next generation begins with parents having a real, everyday faith that we live and teach to our children in the context of the unconditional love experienced daily in our families. Whether we are aware of it or not, our children are watching how we live. They are observing how our relationship with God is a part of our daily conversation and actions, and they are learning from that. The love they experience from us models for them the love and grace of God. Almost all parents feel inadequate for their role. Whatever the current blessings and stresses in your family’s relationships may be and regardless of how comfortable or uncomfortable you are in speaking about spiritual things with your family, God begins wherever we are and enables every one of us—and every family—to start again. We as a church want to come alongside families to equip, encourage and support the parent or parents in this most important task that God has entrusted to them.

Will our church programs teach the faith to our children? Of course. But we realize any church has only a few hours of influence each week and the church’s role is to supplement, not replace, what the children in our congregation are experiencing and learning in the many hours they are at home. We therefore want to go beyond traditional church programming by helping family and church work together to maximize their impact on our children’s lives. The “Family Ministries” approach does not in any way diminish the quality or depth of the age-specific programming Faith Church offers. We continue to encourage the children and youth of Faith Church to invite their friends to children’s and youth programming, even if their friends’ parents do not participate in Faith Church or any church. We want to help all who participate in our programs to experience the joy of knowing and loving God and to develop a lifelong, growing relationship of following Christ in the decisions of daily life. We are also committed to providing continuity as students transition from elementary school, to middle school, to high school.

Our Family Ministries department has three primary program staff to help us accomplish those purposes: a half-time Children’s Ministry Associate, a half-time Youth Ministry Associate, and a full-time Director of Family Ministries. The Children’s Ministry Associate (Joanna Bachmann) implements and leads the program for children ages birth through 5th grade. The Youth Ministry Associate (Kevin Boyle) implements and leads separate programs for middle school students (6th-8th grade) and high school students (9th-12th grade). The Director of Family Ministries (Denny Burda) has three primary responsibilities: (1) he plans, directs and oversees all programming for those from birth through 12th grade; (2) he provides direct ministry to elementary-age children, middle school students, and high school students; and (3) he works with parents to provide resources and support. His work includes coordinating curriculum so that although teaching is done in ways that are appropriate for each age level, there are common themes that families can discuss at home. He also helps parents to make the most of their time with their family and creates church programs for families that complement what happens in the home.

Pastor Buck Day, who has excellent gifts and experience in youth ministry and in adult discipleship ministry, oversees the Family Ministries area. Our Senior Pastor Christopher Carlson has special interest and excellent training in Christian counseling. Both pastors are fathers of children who are now young adults. All of our staff are happy to work with you in thinking through and building up your own faith as well as in offering insights for strengthening your bonds as a family and leading your children to experience a life-transforming relationship with God. As a church, our most important work is to do all that we can to ensure that the faith is passed on to the next generation.

A very helpful presentation of the biblical foundation for Faith Church’s approach to Family Ministries and practical illustrations of how those biblical principles can be applied to family life today can be found in transcripts of two sermons preached by Pastor Buck Day, “Faith for the Generations, part 1” and “Faith for the Generations, part 2.”