Shepherd's Way Baptist Church

Shepherd's Way Baptist Church is an independent, fundamental Baptist church with a Family-Integrated Ministry Structure. What do we mean by "Family-Integrated Ministry"? Basically, it is a philosophy of ministry that seeks to keep the entire family on the same page regarding the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Why? So that the heads of the family can be better equipped to reinforce Biblical truths as they apply them in ministry through the home. Thus the Church disciples the family by training them in not only what the Scriptures say, but also in how to "live" what they are learning.

Today, many churches have adopted the strategy of "specializing" with particular age or interest groups in order to minister effectively. There are age-specific Sunday School classes, Children's Church, Teen Church, and Adult Church on Sunday mornings. On Wednesdays, this method again is in full force with programs such as AWANA, Master Clubs, Youth Groups, and many "home-grown" ministries that seek to minister to specific age groups. Then, whatever adults are not tied up in teaching one of these classes are often times either grouped together in the auditorium or sanctuary or broken out into their own categories of Single Adults, "Golden-Oldies" and the like.

While it cannot be argued that age and interest specific ministries do help to "focus" the Word of God in a way that makes it easy to "teach" to a particular group, it also has its shortcomings. One major problem that this approach creates is in application. Imagine being the father of the Smith home, and you and your wife have two children ages 8 and 14. When you come to church on Sunday morning, the children go to their specific age classes for Sunday School, while Mom is an assistant in the Kindergarten class. Dad helps out, when needed in the 16-18 year old class as well. Then the Church worship service starts and the 8 year old is in Children's Church, the teenager is in Teen Church, and Mom and Dad are in the adult worship service. Then on Wednesdays, the routine is repeated with one child in AWANA, another in the Youth, and Mom and Dad both helping to teach the "tweens" class.

In this scenario (which is not uncommon in many churches today), there would have been a total of 7 different lessons taught, and 3 different sermons (not counting Sunday night), to the 4 members of the family. How does the Father then take what has been taught and ever hope to get a handle on what to apply? Each person has heard or been taught something different. How does the Father even know what has been taught?

As stated earlier, age and interest specific classes do allow for a degree of focus in teaching the Word of God, but it falls short in a tremendous way when it comes to the "rubber meets the road" part…applying it to daily life. In addition, while the church is often referred to as a "family", the truth is that the "Smith" family is often spread all over the building on a typical Sunday or Wednesday.

If age and interest specific groups really are the best way to minister, we should be seeing a height of spiritual maturity in the church that is simply unmatched in history. But instead, as polls by Gallup and Barna both attest, many people in our churches show a great "ignorance" not only of what Scripture teaches but why it is important and how it can make a difference. While not all of this can be laid at the feet of age or interest specific classes, it is telling that this spiritual "ignorance" has increased as we have gotten more and more age and group specific.

Shepherd's Way Baptist Church seeks to practice Family-Integrated Ministry so that the teaching and preaching of the Word of God is backed up by application. In Sunday School, we do have age specific classes, but everyone is taught the same lesson (just at an age-appropriate level). That way, Dad and/or Mom knows what the children have been taught, and it can be more easily reinforced at home.

On Wednesdays, after a time of singing and prayer, the theme of the previous Sunday School lesson is reinforced from the pulpit, and then the family (or groups of families) come together and asks the question, "How do we apply this?" For instance, if the Sunday School lesson had been on the Good Samaritan and the theme was "compassion", then the question might be (coming from one of the adult family members), "Who do we know that is stuggling right now, and how can we help them? How can WE be a good neighbor?" Once the decision is reached the family(ies) can then, at a time that works for them, actually apply the truth that they have learned in a way that actually ministers to someone.

The advantages of this approach are many. For the families of the Church the benefits are…

·         Everyone is taught the same lesson making it easier to reinforce at home

·         Worship services are "family time"-the entire family stays together for the 11 AM, 6 PM services and Wednesday services

·         The lessons go beyond the "head knowledge" stage because application is a central theme that is focused on during the Wednesday evening service

·         Children see the Christian life within the context of learning and living…and best of all, they get to see their parent(s) living it as well.

In addition, single-parent families, single adults (whether unmarried or widowed), couples without children or grandparents can become part of a "family group" on Wednesdays where they too can minister as part of a family of families. Even children that attend whose parents do not can receive the benefit of being "adopted" by another family or family group so that they can see what Christian living looks like in a "home" environment. It gives the families of the church an unprecedented way of ministering to each other as well as outside the four walls of the church building.

The goal of Family-Integrated Ministry is ultimately discipleship. As the church disciples the family in this method, the families experience ministry two ways: by being ministered to and by being trained and sent out to minister as well. As the families grow in maturity and continue to minister, the church then will also grow as a result of the fruits of its labors. And a wonderful cycle of growth and discipleship will follow.