Family Life Ministry

The course presents an introduction to the field of family life ministry. Focus will be on the design, development, and delivery of a comprehensive family ministry with emphasis on preventive and therapeutic resources for families in the church and in the community. The theological foundations for a ministry to families will be explored.

UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:

• Defining family ministry and understanding the role of family life ministry in the local church.
• Discussing the major decisions a church and church leadership make before initiating a ministry to families.
• Describing a theological and biblical basis for family life ministry and the nature of the family.
• Formulating an approach to counseling in the local church for various church contexts.
• Analyzing the common barriers to family life ministry and discussing approaches to deal with those barriers.
• Formulating a plan to minister to the needs of families in the local church through the use of a congregational needs analysis.
• Identifying and discussing various forms of family life ministry that are applicable to a range of church contexts.
• Applying principles of preventive ministry with therapeutic ministry to provide a holistic approach to family needs.
• Describing family ministry as an outreach to the local community to meet the needs of families in the community.
• Evaluating the competencies and skills necessary to function as a family life minister in a local church.
• Understanding the needs of diverse family forms in the local church as they apply to the planning of a family life ministry.
• Describing the design, development, and delivery of a comprehensive family life ministry for a local church.
• Describing a parenting ministry for a congregation.
• Describing a ministry to families at various stages of the life cycle.
• Describing a ministry to marriages in a local church.