SHOULD WE HAVE "FRIDAY NIGHT FAMILY BIBLE STUDIES" ~ Or should churches
separate families to have Men's Bible Studies, Women's Bible
Studies, Young Adult Bible Studies, Young Marrieds Bible
Studies, and on, and on, and on - covering every possible aspect
of human life ~ except the "Family Relationship"?
When my wife and I discuss this, I ask her, sort of tongue-in-cheek, and sort of being realistic, "Did God create different Bibles - one for men, one for women, one for young adults, one for young marrieds, one for seniors, etc.?" And, of course, by this time she wants to hit me over the head with her Bible - for she knows I am not kidding. I believe God would have us do Bible studies as a family. But man, often wanting to play god, tries to separate everyone into specific little groups.
Let's talk real life facts. I have seen so many wonderful results from Friday Night Family Bible Studies. First, I was saved in one in 1987. And in that same Bible study group I saw a single mom bringing her 3 and 5 year old daughters to our Bible studies. Today those two young girls are graduates of good Christian colleges and are living Christian lives as adults. I personally believe their Christian lives began when those two young girls came to our Friday Night Family Bible Study each week with their mom - and experienced the love of God being shared.
Fast forward a few more years and I personally saw a family "heavenly impacted" through a different Friday Night Family Bible Study. Dad was Roman Catholic so mom and their two young boys came to our Friday Night Family Bible Studies alone. They came to our Bible studies but not to our worship service, I suppose out of respect for dad. After about a year, one evening our pastor unexpectedly gave an altar call at the Bible Study. That had to have been the Holy Spirit working - for I had never seen him do that before. About 6 or 7 people stood to receive the Lord, three of them were that mom and the two young sons. The next week dad came to Bible study with his family - and he received the Lord.
I later learned from him that his two young sons came home the previous week after receiving the Lord - and started witnessing to him. Literally, just like Andrew and John brought their brothers, Simon and James, to Jesus Christ (John 1:35-42) - these two young boys brought their dad to Jesus Christ. Then the dad brought his brother and his family to our church. And the two dads brought their mom, who was Roman Catholic, to our church - and she received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In thinking about it, maybe she was the one who was most immediate on God's mind - for one year later she died from cancer. But she died a believers and is with her Lord right now.
By the way, the oldest of those two young boys is now an associate pastor in one of our local Fil-Am churches while attending seminary. Both of those boys are young adult married men now. Both boys, forgive me, both young men - and all that family whose Christian walk started with mom and two young sons at our Friday Night Family Bible Study many years ago - are closely bonded as a Christian family doing the work of the Lord.
From just these examples you can see the power of God working in Friday Night Family Bible Studies. And these are just a few of the positive examples Dory and I have experienced when the family is not split into groups, but studies the Word of God together, as a family. And that is why I am a strong advocate for Friday Night Family Bible Studies. For most folks, the work week is over, time to relax and come together with family and friends for fellowship and to study God's Word.
In the early days of my Christian walk, circa 1989-90, I was a member of the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (CA) and we had regular Friday Night Family Bible Studies. One Friday we were having Bible Study at the home of Richard and Zina who had two small children. Richard and I had several things in common. We both were relatively new believers and we both were Caucasian Americans married to Filipino American wives.
How well I recall a conversation with Richard one evening before the Bible study at his home began. He told me, "You know, Bill, before I was a Christian believer, Friday evenings were a time to go to parties, bars, and night clubs. But today I have so much more fun at a Friday Night Family Bible Study at home. If is much more fun being with my Family, my Christian friends, and studying God's Word with them." And I had to wholly agree with him.
I am sharing these thoughts because today Facebook popped up a post I had shared four years ago in 2016. My Christian brother and Friend, Mark Lacanienta, had posted the graphic and the article below which caused me to post the following blog then.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bill Gray February 16, 2016 at 2:12 PM posted:
PUSH CHILDREN OUT - OR INCLUDE THEM? A post which my Christian brother, Mark Lacanienta, shared today asks the question:
"Should children be allowed in the main worship service?"
The article below and the graphic shows five reasons children should be in worship services and Bible studies with their parents.
Those who know me, know that I am a strong advocate for Family Bible Studies which include Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, all their Friends, and ALL the little ones. Why? Because as this article points out - little ones learn a number of things in Family Bible Study and in Family Worship Service: (1) They see all their Family and Friends sharing the Word of God and sharing Love in fellowship. Even when they are too young to understand Scripture, they still can understand Love. (2) As they get a bit older, in Bible studies they can be included in the Scripture reading and discussions. You will be amazed at the results.
As a Christian for 28 (now 32 years) years, I have seen at least three generation of Youth grow up in our churches. With those who were included in the Bible study fellowships - I have seen almost 100% of them stay active in church and in some form of ministry. At studies and services where I have seen Youth excluded, sent off to play while the adults study and worship - I have seen failures. Which group would you want your children and grandchildren in - the successes or the failures?
Does the noise of the Little Ones in Bible Study or Worship Service bother me? Not in the least. That is just another form of "worship music" to me.
What REALLY bothers me is when I hear adults talking and chatting with the person sitting beside them - at that same time that our pastor is sharing the sermon. Many times I have wanted to remind them that 1 Timothy 2:11 really applies to both men and women. When this happens, and believe me it does, I have the urge to walk over and tap them on the head - but, of course I cannot do that for that would also be a distraction from the sermon.
Please read this article in the link above. And, please, heed its advise - for the sake of all our children!
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill Gray
5 Reasons Children Belong in the Main Service Regularly
https://churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-articles/261362-5-reasons-children-main-service-regularly.html?fbclid=IwAR1dNVW2dJ3PuoRGGZV0ywSPCOwJ_1A1J2peoIVzxCTqY1jFuxFShggL4H4
Click on the image to enlarge:
When my wife and I discuss this, I ask her, sort of tongue-in-cheek, and sort of being realistic, "Did God create different Bibles - one for men, one for women, one for young adults, one for young marrieds, one for seniors, etc.?" And, of course, by this time she wants to hit me over the head with her Bible - for she knows I am not kidding. I believe God would have us do Bible studies as a family. But man, often wanting to play god, tries to separate everyone into specific little groups.
Let's talk real life facts. I have seen so many wonderful results from Friday Night Family Bible Studies. First, I was saved in one in 1987. And in that same Bible study group I saw a single mom bringing her 3 and 5 year old daughters to our Bible studies. Today those two young girls are graduates of good Christian colleges and are living Christian lives as adults. I personally believe their Christian lives began when those two young girls came to our Friday Night Family Bible Study each week with their mom - and experienced the love of God being shared.
Fast forward a few more years and I personally saw a family "heavenly impacted" through a different Friday Night Family Bible Study. Dad was Roman Catholic so mom and their two young boys came to our Friday Night Family Bible Studies alone. They came to our Bible studies but not to our worship service, I suppose out of respect for dad. After about a year, one evening our pastor unexpectedly gave an altar call at the Bible Study. That had to have been the Holy Spirit working - for I had never seen him do that before. About 6 or 7 people stood to receive the Lord, three of them were that mom and the two young sons. The next week dad came to Bible study with his family - and he received the Lord.
I later learned from him that his two young sons came home the previous week after receiving the Lord - and started witnessing to him. Literally, just like Andrew and John brought their brothers, Simon and James, to Jesus Christ (John 1:35-42) - these two young boys brought their dad to Jesus Christ. Then the dad brought his brother and his family to our church. And the two dads brought their mom, who was Roman Catholic, to our church - and she received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In thinking about it, maybe she was the one who was most immediate on God's mind - for one year later she died from cancer. But she died a believers and is with her Lord right now.
By the way, the oldest of those two young boys is now an associate pastor in one of our local Fil-Am churches while attending seminary. Both of those boys are young adult married men now. Both boys, forgive me, both young men - and all that family whose Christian walk started with mom and two young sons at our Friday Night Family Bible Study many years ago - are closely bonded as a Christian family doing the work of the Lord.
From just these examples you can see the power of God working in Friday Night Family Bible Studies. And these are just a few of the positive examples Dory and I have experienced when the family is not split into groups, but studies the Word of God together, as a family. And that is why I am a strong advocate for Friday Night Family Bible Studies. For most folks, the work week is over, time to relax and come together with family and friends for fellowship and to study God's Word.
In the early days of my Christian walk, circa 1989-90, I was a member of the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (CA) and we had regular Friday Night Family Bible Studies. One Friday we were having Bible Study at the home of Richard and Zina who had two small children. Richard and I had several things in common. We both were relatively new believers and we both were Caucasian Americans married to Filipino American wives.
How well I recall a conversation with Richard one evening before the Bible study at his home began. He told me, "You know, Bill, before I was a Christian believer, Friday evenings were a time to go to parties, bars, and night clubs. But today I have so much more fun at a Friday Night Family Bible Study at home. If is much more fun being with my Family, my Christian friends, and studying God's Word with them." And I had to wholly agree with him.
I am sharing these thoughts because today Facebook popped up a post I had shared four years ago in 2016. My Christian brother and Friend, Mark Lacanienta, had posted the graphic and the article below which caused me to post the following blog then.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bill Gray February 16, 2016 at 2:12 PM posted:
PUSH CHILDREN OUT - OR INCLUDE THEM? A post which my Christian brother, Mark Lacanienta, shared today asks the question:
"Should children be allowed in the main worship service?"
The article below and the graphic shows five reasons children should be in worship services and Bible studies with their parents.
Those who know me, know that I am a strong advocate for Family Bible Studies which include Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, all their Friends, and ALL the little ones. Why? Because as this article points out - little ones learn a number of things in Family Bible Study and in Family Worship Service: (1) They see all their Family and Friends sharing the Word of God and sharing Love in fellowship. Even when they are too young to understand Scripture, they still can understand Love. (2) As they get a bit older, in Bible studies they can be included in the Scripture reading and discussions. You will be amazed at the results.
As a Christian for 28 (now 32 years) years, I have seen at least three generation of Youth grow up in our churches. With those who were included in the Bible study fellowships - I have seen almost 100% of them stay active in church and in some form of ministry. At studies and services where I have seen Youth excluded, sent off to play while the adults study and worship - I have seen failures. Which group would you want your children and grandchildren in - the successes or the failures?
Does the noise of the Little Ones in Bible Study or Worship Service bother me? Not in the least. That is just another form of "worship music" to me.
What REALLY bothers me is when I hear adults talking and chatting with the person sitting beside them - at that same time that our pastor is sharing the sermon. Many times I have wanted to remind them that 1 Timothy 2:11 really applies to both men and women. When this happens, and believe me it does, I have the urge to walk over and tap them on the head - but, of course I cannot do that for that would also be a distraction from the sermon.
Please read this article in the link above. And, please, heed its advise - for the sake of all our children!
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill Gray
5 Reasons Children Belong in the Main Service Regularly
https://churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-articles/261362-5-reasons-children-main-service-regularly.html?fbclid=IwAR1dNVW2dJ3PuoRGGZV0ywSPCOwJ_1A1J2peoIVzxCTqY1jFuxFShggL4H4
Click on the image to enlarge:
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