Home, Family, and Diaconal Work

LLC Home and Family WorkshopOctober 19-21,

2012

Christ’s Commandment• In family and diaconal work,

Christ’s dual commandment of love guides us: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” - Matthew 22:37-39

Not New Work But Timely

• Family and diaconal work is the work of the gospel and has always been done.

• Families need support.• Individual believers

need support.• Phenomena of this time

create a special need.

Actions 2011-2012• LLC Board appointed a

committee.• Goals established.• Congregations have

named local contacts.• Plan for 2012-15.• Articles in periodicals.• This workshop.

Home, Family, Diaconal Work

• Foundation of God’s Word• Marriage, Parenthood, Values of the

Home• Issues and Challenges of Today• Diverging Values, Time Management,

Social Relations, Difficulties in Relations, Standard of Living Pressures

• Supporting Homes, Families, One Another• In the Hearing of God’s Word• Visiting, Fellowship, Reaching Out to

Others• Nurturing the Marriage Relationship• Support – from LLC, from Society

• How do we believe?

• What is the lasting and unshakeable foundation in life?

In the midst of changing times and diverging

values, we need to ask:

Foundation of God’s Word

• God’s Word is the ultimate guide for faith and life.

• In the midst of changing times, it is important to keep the basis of faith at the forefront.

• God’s Word directs us to live believing in God and loving one another.

Preventive Gospel Work

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation

to every one that believeth.”- Romans 1:16

What can we do to help

• married couples?• young families?• single believers?• youth and children?• elders?• one another?

Bear Ye One Another’s Burdens

• The connection of thebelievers is a source ofstrength that helps oneto cope in the midst ofmany difficulties.

• God’s unchanging word offers a foundation for life which will not disappoint when all else fails.

• Living faith protects against many harmful influences.

To the Home & Family Contacts

• Workshop presentations are meant as resource material.

• Be free to use and modify resource material and take notes.

• None of us are experts, nor do we need to be.

• Our work is not to solve problems but is preventive gospel work.

Discussion

• What is home, family, and diaconal work to you?

• What are some of the needs that you experience or see in our time that make this work important today?

• What is “preventive gospel work”?