Equipping Parents and Grandparents for their Family Ministries

Can We Legitimately Say that Family Leaders Have Ministries?

The big question here is whether or not God has given responsibilities to parents and grandparents to carry out?  If so, can we classify these as actual ministries?   Hebrews 13:17 says this:  “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account.  Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.”  Now, yes, we could say this verse refers to pastors, teachers and elders but not to family leaders. 

However, Martin Luther did not overlook what is going on in the home.  He said this in The Estate of Marriage, volume 45, Luther’s Works “Most certainly father and mother are apostles, bishops and priests to their children, if they make them acquainted with the gospel.  In short, there is no greater or nobler authority on earth than that of parents over their children, for this authority is both spiritual and temporal.”  When he uses designations like apostles, bishops and priests, does this not sound like what we would refer to as ministers?  So did he just make this up or did he bring this out from the Scriptures? 

In his Preface to the Large Catechism he refers to Deuteronomy 6 which tells parents how to pass God’s message and their faith on to their children.  Psalm 78:1-8 definitely lays out how parents and grandparents are to pass on to their offspring what God has said and done.  Proverbs 1-7 has parents instructing their children in wisdom so they don’t get taken in by manipulators and foolish deceivers.  In the New Testament in II Timothy 1:5 it speaks to Timothy whose faith has come alive because of the influence of his grandmother Lois and his mother, Eunice.  The ministry of parents is brought out clearly in Ephesians 6:4 “And fathers (parents), do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  So the Scriptures speak absolutely to the responsibilities God has given to family leaders.  Churches can easily overlook this truth.    `          

But how are family leaders going to become equipped to carry out their ministries?  Now we go back to Ephesians 4:11-12.  God has set up leaders in the church like pastors and teachers to do the equipping.  This sounds good but unfortunately, most pastors and teachers have not been trained to prepare family leaders for their callings.  This is where Adults Saving Kids comes in.  ASK has Bible studies and curriculum which can aid congregations in giving this much needed training.  See also: What is Prayer Project Lifesaver?   This assures support for all church members by other praying members.

Adults Saving Kids has a Bible study on the letter to the Ephesians which becomes a first course for this family training.  From this book and other Bible passages family leaders will learn what to do to build vital relationships, what the Good News of grace is that needs to be passed on,  how to grow in one’s identity in Christ, the need for wisdom in dealing with those who would take advantage of children, prayer that would both protect and develop faith in the life of a child, what makes for healthy Christian living and on the tools and weapons needed for all to defend themselves with the armor God provides to stay safe.