Family Ministries
Welcome to Family Ministries“In every marriage,
God puts in it the ability to succeed.” –Pastor
Perry Jennings-
Marriage is one of the first covenants God introduced in the
Garden of Eden and among the only institutions to survive the Fall of Man. The South Atlantic Conference Family
Ministries department has been put in place to edify local communities by
strengthening the marriage and family bond.
We seek to develop Christ-centered marriages using biblical principles
as the framework for a successful family unit.
Our conference believes that a strong family is one of the foundational
components for a unified community and church.
There is a great need for Family Ministries due to the
overwhelming number of divorces in our society.
The breakdown of the family not only affects those directly involved,
but the church as a whole. Look at some
statistics:
· Australian statistics show that 50 percent of
Adventists no longer attend church within three years of divorce.
http://www.adventistreview.org/2002-1534/story3.html
· Recent
studies by the Barna Research Group reveal that 27 percent of born-again
Christians have been divorced. That
compares with 24 percent of adults who are not born-again. http://www.adventistreview.org/2005-1514/story5.html
· An Associated Press story detailed how the
United States is currently averaging 3.6 divorces per every 1,000
household. Such a low divorce rate has
not been since 1970. http://www.totaldivorce.com/news/articles/society/us-divorce-rate.aspx
Although
statistics show an increase in divorces in the Adventist denomination and
Christian Church as a whole, the overall divorce rate is at its lowest since
1970. This means there is hope for the
21st century family. The
South Atlantic Conference intends to
“In every marriage,
God puts in it the ability to succeed.” –Pastor
Perry Jennings-
Marriage is one of the first covenants God introduced in the
Garden of Eden and among the only institutions to survive the Fall of Man. The South Atlantic Conference Family
Ministries department has been put in place to edify local communities by
strengthening the marriage and family bond.
We seek to develop Christ-centered marriages using biblical principles
as the framework for a successful family unit.
Our conference believes that a strong family is one of the foundational
components for a unified community and church.
There is a great need for Family Ministries due to the
overwhelming number of divorces in our society.
The breakdown of the family not only affects those directly involved,
but the church as a whole. Look at some
statistics:
· Australian statistics show that 50 percent of
Adventists no longer attend church within three years of divorce.
http://www.adventistreview.org/2002-1534/story3.html
· Recent
studies by the Barna Research Group reveal that 27 percent of born-again
Christians have been divorced. That
compares with 24 percent of adults who are not born-again. http://www.adventistreview.org/2005-1514/story5.html
· An Associated Press story detailed how the
United States is currently averaging 3.6 divorces per every 1,000
household. Such a low divorce rate has
not been since 1970. http://www.totaldivorce.com/news/articles/society/us-divorce-rate.aspx
Although
statistics show an increase in divorces in the Adventist denomination and
Christian Church as a whole, the overall divorce rate is at its lowest since
1970. This means there is hope for the
21st century family. The
South Atlantic Conference intends to impart that hope to all those willing to
fight to keep their families together.
Strong Families Build Strong Communities.
Family Reformation Begins With Sacrifice
A Family Reformation must begin with individual
sacrifice. But sacrifice takes
courage. It takes courage to confess and repent of sin.
It takes courage to keep
your wedding vows and uphold your biblical roles in the
family. It takes courage
to raise godly children in the midst of a godless
culture. When every voice
around you screams, "COMPROMISE!" "SURRENDER!" "TAKE THE
EASY WAY OUT!", it
takes courage to stand for the truth of God's Word.
In the early 1970s, the Iraqi government arrested a
group of American students
on trumped-up espionage charges. The wicked regime of
Saddam Hussein wanted
confessions, and to elicit the desired admissions of
guilt, they began torturing
the students.
The prisoners were told that if they confessed, they
could go free. "Compromise
the truth." "Admit to a falsehood."
The promise of freedom became irresistible.
One by one, as the pressures and the pain mounted, every
prisoner confessed to
crimes he didn't commit. Every prisoner except one.
For this one man, the torture intensified.
A Family Reformation must begin with individual
sacrifice. But sacrifice takes
courage. It takes courage to confess and repent of sin.
It takes courage to keep
your wedding vows and uphold your biblical roles in the
family. It takes courage
to raise godly children in the midst of a godless
culture. When every voice
around you screams, "COMPROMISE!" "SURRENDER!" "TAKE THE
EASY WAY OUT!", it
takes courage to stand for the truth of God's Word.
In the early 1970s, the Iraqi government arrested a
group of American students
on trumped-up espionage charges. The wicked regime of
Saddam Hussein wanted
confessions, and to elicit the desired admissions of
guilt, they began torturing
the students.
The prisoners were told that if they confessed, they
could go free. "Compromise
the truth." "Admit to a falsehood."
The promise of freedom became irresistible.
One by one, as the pressures and the pain mounted, every
prisoner confessed to
crimes he didn't commit. Every prisoner except one.
For this one man, the torture intensified. The
loneliness of isolation became
unbearable. He came close to breaking.
Recounting his friend's story in The Wall Street
Journal, Mark Helprin writes,
"Then they announced that they were finished with his
case, that he could simply
confess or die. A confession lay before him as they
raised a pistol to his
head,cocked the hammer, and started a count down. He had
heard executions from
his cell. 'Sign your name,' he was told, 'and you will
live.' But he refused. He
closed his eyes, grimaced, and prepared to die. They
pulled the trigger. When he
heard the click he thought he was dead. The gun,
however, had not been loaded."
Helprin's friend was eventually released. He discovered
afterwards that every
other prisoner who had confessed was hanged in the
public square.
Only he survived.
The moral of the story is clear: Compromise represents a
far greater risk than
courage. As difficult as it is to stand for truth, it is
much harder to live
with the consequences of moral failure.
Nearly 500 years ago, a disobedient church held a "gun"
to the head of a simple
Augustinian monk. Faced with the choice between
capitulation or excommunication,
Martin Luther spoke the words that changed the course of
history. "My conscience
is captive to the Word of God," he said. "I cannot and
will not recant anything,
for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.
Here I stand. I can do
no other. God help me."
My friend, when every voice around you screams
"COMPROMISE!" "SURRENDER!" "TAKE
THE EASY WAY OUT!"; when marriage is hard and parenting
is harder; when your
wedding vows could easily be broken: STAND FOR THE
TRUTH!
God will reward your faithfulness.
America will be strengthened.
Melvin Preston, Family Ministries Director
Information on Parenting“The cause of division and discord in families and in the church is separation from Christ.” -Ellen White-
Christian-parents.net provides characteristics for successful parents.
Successful Parents are . . .
· Not perfect- They make mistakes, but observe and learn from both their own and the mistakes of others.
· Personally involved- with teaching and training their children. They know God holds only the parents solely responsible for overseeing their child's moral and spiritual development.
· Praying and studying- for the job of parenting! They form their ideas about child discipline from a disciplined and prayerful consideration of Bible principles -- not from popular but unproven humanistic ideas.
· Refusing to delegate- their God-given responsibilities for their own children to the state, the church, or others.
· Taking personal charge- of their children's spiritual education to make sure they receive proper Biblical instruction.
Article on the Family
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart form it” (Prov 22:6)
The South Atlantic Conference Family Ministries not only works to mend broken families, but also helps to maintain strong Christian families. Below is a link to an article of a young man reflecting on his Adventist upbringing and how it has impacted his adult life:
http://adventistreview.org/article.php?id=428
Married Lovers' RetreatSouth Atlantic Conference
MARRIED LOVERS’ RETREAT February 18-20, 2011 (Click here for flyer)
Dr. David & Teresa Ferguson Intimate Life Ministries Presenters
Dr. Wesley & Stephanie Knight South Atlantic Conference Devotional Speakers
LOCATION: Legacy Lodge & Conference Center Lake Lanier Island Resort
Come and take your marriage to a higher level.
REGISTER AT:
www.plusline.org Event Registration SAC Married Lovers’ Retreat (CLICK HERE TO REGISTER)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: South Atlantic Conference Dr.
South Atlantic Conference
MARRIED LOVERS’ RETREAT February 18-20, 2011 (Click here for flyer)
Dr. David & Teresa Ferguson Intimate Life Ministries Presenters
Dr. Wesley & Stephanie Knight South Atlantic Conference Devotional Speakers
LOCATION: Legacy Lodge & Conference Center Lake Lanier Island Resort
Come and take your marriage to a higher level.
REGISTER AT:
www.plusline.org Event Registration SAC Married Lovers’ Retreat (CLICK HERE TO REGISTER)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: South Atlantic Conference Dr. Melvin Preston, Director Ortrene Gordon, Secretary (404) 792-0535 ext 107 or 117
Prepare Enrich
One of the best ways to help you
maintain a healthy and happy relationship is to invest time and energy
in it. We highly recommend at least once a year, perhaps on your wedding anniversary, you take the online Couple Checkup. Just click on the Couple Checkup picture above. The online Couple Checkup is built on the foundation of Prepare/Enrich, and provides you with a Couple Report (15-20 pages) as well as a Couple Discussion Guide - both of which help you build a stronger marriage. The Family Ministries Coordinator
The strength of the church is based in the spiritual life of its members and families. God
expects families to have mutually satisfying relationships (Mal. 4:6). He desires that husbands
and wives experience unity (Matt. 19:5, 6); that parents “do not exasperate your children; instead,
bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).
The guiding principles of the Bible direct that Christians nurture the spiritual, physical,
intellectual, emotional and social needs of the individuals, couples and families who constitute the
fabric of fellowship in the church. When the church ministers to the needs of families as Christ
did, they are restored to wholeness. Families who feel complete, and have harmonious relationships,
are more likely to be dedicated to God’s goals (Col. 2:10).
Family crises cannot be the only motivation for family ministry. Healthy family functioning
is a primary goal. A family should provide for the transmission of values, and be a witness for
God in the world of His power to unify and engender the happiness of each person. The family
is the ordained place where human beings can experience love to its fullest extent—romantic
love, friendship love and redemptive love.
Families need to be taught the meaning of love. Love fosters health and decreases stress.
“Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred” (Prov. 15:17).
Families need to develop stable relationships patterned after God’s relationship with us. He
has declared, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). God’s love is
unconditional, enduring and responsible.
The family is probably the best illustration God has of what He is like. A family that is
spiritually healthy will manifest characteristics of humility, patience, hope, and loving acceptance.
Stages of MarriageAccording to
Michele Weiner Davis, author of numerous books including, the Divorce Remedy, marriages go through
five predictable stages:
1. Passion Prevails
You are head over heels in love with your mate. This is when you finish each other’s
sentences and when annoying things pop-up, they are usually overlooked. At no other time in your relationship is your
feeling of well-being and physical desire for each other as intense as during
this period.
2. Reality Sets In
This stage tends to be the most difficult because this is
when couples experience the greatest fall. Reality sets in. Little things start to bother you. You argue about everything. When you remind yourself you made a life-long
commitment, you start to understand the real meaning of eternity.
3. Your Spouse’s Way and Your Way
This is the stage where couples are convinced they've tried
everything and where some even give up.
According to
Michele Weiner Davis, author of numerous books including, the Divorce Remedy, marriages go through
five predictable stages:
1. Passion Prevails
You are head over heels in love with your mate. This is when you finish each other’s
sentences and when annoying things pop-up, they are usually overlooked. At no other time in your relationship is your
feeling of well-being and physical desire for each other as intense as during
this period.
2. Reality Sets In
This stage tends to be the most difficult because this is
when couples experience the greatest fall. Reality sets in. Little things start to bother you. You argue about everything. When you remind yourself you made a life-long
commitment, you start to understand the real meaning of eternity.
3. Your Spouse’s Way and Your Way
This is the stage where couples are convinced they've tried
everything and where some even give up. They
tell themselves they've fallen out of love or married the wrong person and they
divorce. Other people resign themselves
to the status quo and decide to lead separate lives. But there are still others who decide that
it's time to begin to investigate healthier and more satisfying ways of interacting.
The latter option requires a major leap
of faith. Those who take it are the fortunate ones because the best of marriage
is yet to come.
4. Acceptance
In stage four, couples come to terms with the fact that they
are never going to see eye-to-eye about everything and they have to figure out
how to live more peaceably. They look to
others for suggestions; religious counsel, close friends and family, marriage
seminars, self-help books, or marital therapy. Couples more readily forgive
hardheadedness and recognize that neither party is exactly easy to live with. When disagreements occur, they make more of an
effort to put themselves in each other’s shoes. They recognize they have to
accept the good with the bad. Fights
happen less frequently and when they occur, they're not as intense or as
emotional as in the earlier years of marriage.
5. Full Circle
Tragically, half of all couples who wed never get to this
stage, says Weiner Davis. Since you are
no longer in a struggle to define who you are and what the marriage should be,
there is more peace and harmony. You
start "liking" your spouse again. You have a shared history. While you'd both
agree that marriage hasn't been easy, you feel proud that you've weathered the
storms. You appreciate your partner's
sense of commitment to making your marriage last. If you have children, they're older and more
independent, allowing you to focus on your marriage again, like in the old
days. You realize you have come full
circle.
|