launching the next generation… …rescuing a generation in crisis! …rescuing a generation in...

Launching the Next

Generation… …Rescuing a

Generation in Crisis!

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If we keep doing the same things over and over again expecting

different results what is that called again?

.Conference Overview: Saturday

1:30 pm Launching the Next Generation – (a practical Family Discipleship Plan)

3:30 pm Question & Answer Panel

Reforming the Church

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In the context of the church, the notion of “reform”

implies improvements or changes that restore the

church to a purer or more biblical state.

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Some of what we are doing today in the American church is not working.

Albert Einstein: “The manner of thinking that got us into our current dilemma will not suffice to get us out.”

A Major Problem Many householders are being equipped to neither perform the

work of the ministry nor to sustain the future life of the church by making disciples of their own

households.

Many of today’s contemporary churches are built upon the

flawed premise that the primary responsibility for discipleship of all its members rests upon the

professional and lay staff of each local church.

While this is a noble undertaking, the church has often assumed an unbiblical

mandate…

…inadvertently training the householders to not train their

own families

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We must begin to evaluate the manner in which we are attempting to pass the

Baton of the Gospel on to the next

generation!

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Losing its youth to the world at a rate of 80% per generation, the

church is failing in its most significant role - making disciples

to replenish the church of tomorrow.

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The Family is the primary

Conduit of the Gospel.

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How can we re-orient the church to be more successful in it’s most important mandates?

.Three Ways of Reforming the Church:

1. Restoring the Complementarian role between church and family.

2. Focusing resources on equipping fathers.

3. Raising up Household Embassies that disciple their children, minister to the church and reach out the world.

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The 1st Way to Begin to Reform the Church:

Restoring the Complementarian role between church and family.

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Just like there is a complementarian relationship between a husband and

wife……so there is a complementarian relationship between church and

family.

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A husband has certain biblical responsibilities in the home…

…and so the woman…

…the home tends to operate most smoothly when both the husband and

wife identify and fulfill the responsibilities assigned to

them by God.

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So with the church and home…

…God has assigned the home certain roles…

…and the church certain – other – roles.

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While they work toward the same goals, and often do similar

things, they should not step on the jurisdictions of one another…

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God has designed into creation the administration of jurisdictions…

…and the Family is an Autonomous jurisdiction under the biblical

authority of the Father/parent.

.What is a Jurisdiction

The territorial range of authority or control

PersonalFamily

EmploymentGovernment

Church

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And while the home is to be submitted to the church, the church

is obligated to

- not usurp authority over the home

- or to usurp the responsibilities of the home.

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Acts 5:1-4 [To Ananias] “While [the land] remained unsold, did it not remain your own?

And after it was sold, was it not under your

control?

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By respecting the jurisdictional authority of the family, the church is able to foster the

equipping of all of its members without “controlling” them.

. The church should equip, encourage and affirm heads of households in

their biblical roles…

What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach

others also. (2 Timothy 2:2-3)

.In the wilderness, to the men of Israel who had seen firsthand many mighty

works of God, God says…

…Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the

things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them to thy

sons, and thy sons' sons; (Deut 4:9)

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Do most Christian fathers in America hear, recognize and accept

this mandate?...

… to teach the things of God diligently to their children?…

…Or…

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…have they emotionally passed this mandate over to their wives?

…to the church? …to the pastor?

…to the youth minister? …or the Sunday School teacher?

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Fathers must strive to become the shepherds and resident theologians of

their homes…

…autonomous heads of households are uniquely equipped by God to know and minister the spiritual needs of

their families.

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…and are uniquely able to lead their families in the various

activities of the church as the Lord would lead them.

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The church should regularly reminding Christian fathers and

mothers of their vital role of making their homes effective

centers for discipleship.

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And…what of that father, who never truly comprehending his responsibility to spiritually train his

children, when he stands before God?

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He has abandoned his MOST IMPORTANT

stewardship?

Is he even aware of this?

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There is a complementarian relationship in discipleship between the church and the

home…

But ultimately

…the father has the biblical mandate and primary

responsibility!

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And the church should be enlightening, encouraging and

equipping the father in that role.

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The 2nd Way to Begin to Reform the Church:

Restore the Focus on Equipping Fathers

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The Family Is the Greatest Conduit of the Gospel from One Generation

to the Next…

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What is a Conduit?

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First Roman Aqueduct, built 312 BC

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This Aqueduct was a conduit for the safe transfer of water for many miles…

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The Family Is the God-designed Conduit of the Gospel-lived from One

Generation the Next…

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In the home…over the course of 20(?) years… where the rubber

meets the road…

…Fathers have the primary responsibility for transferring a heart-transforming

presentation of the Gospel-lived

to their children.

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And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach

them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,

and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall

bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your

eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

(Deut 6:6-9)

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From this perspective…

…we should see that it is virtually impossible for a pastor, Sunday

School teacher or youth minister to adequately disciple our youth

at the level of attention needed to be genuinely effective.

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What was Jesus’ model of discipleship?

…living WITH His disciples……24/7

…for 3 years.

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We cannot delegate this to a Church Leader...

But we can assume that 24/7 discipleship role ourselves

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2 Timothy 2:3 …entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Personal discipleship and mentoring do not escape church leaders under this model…

…rather parents (family pastors) are included in the “faithful men” that are

entrusted to take the gospel to their home,

the church, the community and the world.

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If the greatest threat facing the church today is the loss of its youth to

the world at a rate of 80% per generation.

God has an anti-dote …….Heart-level transformation for

fathers and children!

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Malachi 4:6And he will turn the hearts of

fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers,

ESV

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A key objective of the church, then, should be to focus on

mentoring men to disciple their families and to reach their

communities for Christ.

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The 3rd Way to Begin to Re-build the Church:

Raise up Household Embassies

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We must seriously evaluate the notion that ministry is for professional

pastors…

…that church programs are only the domain of church staff…

…that “regular men” are not able to envision, assemble and lead

ministries on behalf of the church.

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Rather than looking out and seeing the church as people needing to be

entertained or spoon fed…

…see fathers as potential pastors / elders and church families as potential

Household Embassies.

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What are the scriptural qualifications of an

elder/pastor/shepherd?...

…Bible College …Seminary?

…Denominational Credentials?

…Years in the trenches as a Youth Minister?

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1 Timothy 3:1-3 If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled,

respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a

lover of money.

.1 Timothy 3:4-7 He must manage his own household well,

with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know

how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation

of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

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Effective ministry emerges from sound, faithful, well-managed homes.

Titus 1:5-6This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders

in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife…

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God’s Kingdom contains hosts of undiscovered ministries because churches sometimes focus only in

pastor-driven, staff-directed programs…

…robbing the initiative from godly, gifted, qualified householders who

have a passion for ministry.

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We believe we should shift our emphasis to discipling and

equipping householders to be effective shepherds of their homes and builders of Embassies of God’s

Kingdom.

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One Of My NT Heroes:

Philip the evangelist – Acts 8 – major revival in Samaria, Ethiopian Eunuch – whisked away to Caesarea then disappears until –

Acts 21:8-9 -4 grown daughters who prophesied

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Discipling and equipping householders to be effective

shepherds of their homes builds ownership and vision…

…as they aspire to be builders of Household Embassies.

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Well-rounded Household Embassies recognize their responsibilities in at

least three areas:

Discipling their own childrenMinistry to the local church

Outreach to the Community / World

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Some of what this philosophy of ministry has produce for

HOFCC/HFF over the past 13/18 years.

(“Embassy Ministry” to the Body In Areas Such As):

Worship Team Tech / Sound Communion Preparation Book Store Manager Kitchen / Shared Meal Schedule Missions Coordinators Hospitality / Body Ministry to the Sick Productive Fellowships Pre Service Prayer

Household-led Care Groups

How People Change Crown Financial Ministries Pure Minds Pure Hearts

Men’s/Ladies Bible Studies Weekly men & women’s prayer

meetings Home Grown/Homeschool Support

Groups Marriage Care Groups

Apologetics / Speech and Debate Perspectives Heart of the Home HOFCC Film Club Toastmasters Air-Soft with a twist Seasons of Service

Household-led Outreach Ministries

Pictures in the Park – Evangelism Street Preaching Street/Neighborhood Evangelism Homeless shelter service Jail Ministry Nursing Home Ministry Handiwork for Hope Beneath the Surface 2 Drama Troupes

Missions / Missions Support Long-term HOFCC Members Sent: - Kevin Mount - OM - Eric Rivera – Gleanings for Hungry

- Mark Feener – Mongolian Translator

- Megan and Paul Root – Missionary Pilot to Africa

- Dan Graybeal

Missions / Missions Support

Medium-term HOFCC Members / ESLs

- England / OM - Morocco - Nepal - Taiwan

Missions / Missions Support

Short-term HOFCC Mission Teams - The Dominican Republic - Mexico - Russia - Cambodia - Gleanings for Hungry - 100+ / yr

- Mongolian Bible Study - Jerry Burd

HFF - SpecificFree Clothing Outreach – Public SchoolsMissions, evangelism, service projectsMeals, counseling, support systems, prayerFood pantry, pro-life, jail visitation, hospital ministryWorship team, audio, video, photography, etcNewsletters, assistance to several parachurch groupsBright Lights, Bible Bee, Quizzing, Boy Scouts/Sports20-25% of budget committed to missions/alms since

inception – orphanage, lepers, students, China, AfricaLydia’s Hope – Hospital outreach for babies

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If we interact correctly with our families…

…recognizing their autonomy, giftings and callings …

…we will raise up countless Great-Commission families in the

American Church.

If a typical pastor expends 70-90% of time dealing with dysfunctional families, what would happen if this was reversed?

What if the heads of households were empowered, equipped and released into ministry per Ephesians 4:11-12?

What if the 70-90% of young people stayed in the faith and were released into ministry?

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If the church would re-orient itself to these 3 foundational issues:

1. Restoring the Complementarian role between church and family.

2. Focusing on equipping fathers.3. Raising up Household Embassies.

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We may find the following results…

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1. Restoring the Complementarian Role between church and family….

May provide an explosion of ministry around the block, city, and globe

(Radical & Radical Together by David Platt)

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2. Turning our Focus on Equipping Fathers…

…may minimize the Disintegration of the Family…

…enhancing family discipleship……Rescuing a Generation in Crisis.

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2. Raising up Household Embassies…

…may engage our families in their Great Commission callings…

…Launching the Next Generation… …impacting the culture and assuring

the church’s vitality for many generations to come.

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Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we

ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be

glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,

forever and ever. Amen.

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Equipping one generation… …to equip the next.

.Next Session…

A practical tool for household development…

…the Family Discipleship Plan

.3 Tenets of the FIC

1) Age-integrated, the family enjoying all aspects of church life together.

2) The home/ father is central to discipling the next generation.

3) The Church focuses on equipping fathers/parents to fulfill their biblically-assigned roles.

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Malachi 4:6And he will turn the hearts of

fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers,

lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

ESV