The Value of Family

We value family. The family is the social core of the world. It is the foundational institution for a civil, ordered, and well-functioning society. Without the family, which consists of at least two people (someone to lead and someone to follow) related by blood, marriage, or adoption, the chaos and instability of life that would ensue would be great. But it is not just for the beneficial reasons (peace, order, security, love, learning, etc…) that we value the family, it is also because the family is God’s design (Genesis 1:26-28a; 2:18-24). We believe that we honor our Creator-King by submitting to His desires and designs for life and living. Consequently, we not only value family, but we value God’s definition of, way of, and means for family as found in His Written Word.

The Blessing of Children

We believe that children are a blessing from God and not an inconvenience or liability. We reject the culture’s insistence that selfish ambition is the way to a fulfilled and satisfied life, and that children (or at least anymore than two children) are a hindrance to that life. Instead, we rejoice with those who receive children in abundance, and mourn with those whose prayerful plea for the blessing of children has gone unanswered. (Psalms 127:3-5; 128; Genesis 1:28; Proverbs 17:6; Job 42:12-16).

The Equality and Differences of Men and Women

We value how God has made men and women equal, yet different. We recognize that difference does not mean inequality of worth or significance. We believe that the Bible is clear that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime; that the husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image; that the marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people and as such proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also believe that there are different roles within marriage, yet again without giving more value or importance to either the husband or the wife. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and a wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. While the husband/father is to lead, he must understand that all leadership is a stewardship from God. And his authority in the home should be exercised with gentleness, grace, and love as a servant-leader, following the example of Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:18-25; Matthew 19:1-9; I Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-33; I Peter 3:1-7).

The Discipleship of the Family within the Family

We value the family’s God-given privilege, responsibility, and effectiveness in overall training, teaching, growing, and discipling of their children. We value it as being the chief way the Lord has called evangelism and discipleship to be carried out. While the church is called to make disciples, it is clear that God has given the family as the primary discipling agent. Children are entrusted to parents for their spiritual nurture. Parents, especially fathers, are to love their children by serving their spiritual needs by praying, exemplifying, equipping, teaching, encouraging, exhorting, confronting, and disciplining. Both husbands and wives need to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Children need to learn from their parents the spiritual and moral values from the Bible. Parents must lead them, through consistent lifestyle example, loving discipline, and faithful instruction of the Word, to trust in Christ, make wise choices based on Biblical truth, and to love their neighbor as themselves. (Genesis 12:8; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 78:5-8; 103:13; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:20-21; II Timothy 3:14-15).