Local Church – The Spiritual Incubator for Our Families
A few decades ago, Indians lived their family lives differently.
There were larger households. It wasn’t about individuals or couples, but a bigger family and community. The community knew them and vice-versa. Their joys were shared, relationships healthier, and the sense of belonging was stronger. Practical wisdom was passed on to the next generation through the community living.
Families today
Due to various influences and choices, today, we view life differently and often subjectively. Our nuclear families are self-sufficient and independent of the community we live in. The belonging to and love for community has grown cold.
As a result, our families are fragmenting and children hardly feel any belonging to extended families and communities. We want to have our own space – ‘Me time’. People have become more intolerant, impatient, and ultimately, more selfish.
These changes reveal a new foundation on which many of us are building our family lives.
The Divine Plan
But, as believers, we should build our families upon the design given in the Scriptures. Christ has a plan for His church and individual families are parts of this godly plan for community.
What’s the plan? God intends individual families to live in the context of a bigger family – the church. This is God’s will and design for our families and churches. He doesn’t want our families to live independent of the community of God, no matter what. A believing family should live their life with a local church.
Living with the church is more than just attending programs and activities. It means weaving your life with the community. It’s rather the intertwining of lives, sharing and caring, giving and receiving, and being integrated into the community. It’s staying accountable, while being vulnerable.
The church is where our individual families will truly grow in godliness, mature manhood, discipleship, and mission.
The Spiritual Incubator
This is the kind of atmosphere in which God wants our families to grow and dwell – not in isolation. We are meant to grow, develop, and serve in the body of Christ together with other families.
In his letter to Titus, Paul wrote about setting the bigger family – the church in order. Older men and women, younger men and women, all are involved. They have their responsibilities to carry out. Older men train younger ones and the older women mentor younger women – a spiritual incubator.
The way we live in community, as a local church, makes a difference in our impact and witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
How to Do This Practically
Church leaders and pastors should shepherd the heads of each family, help members understand the importance of community life, teach the plan of God for believing families, and show (by example) how to be a family of families.
The heads of each family should ensure that family members are not just attendees at church programs but participants in the life of the local church, and are becoming authentic members of the local church community.
