Family Ministry Today

The Center for Christian Family Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Marks of Family-Equipping Ministry

by Steve Wright – Feb 22
  • Family-equipping ministry seeks to make Christ above all else beautiful and declares an uncompromising Gospel to those who do not know Christ (Galatians 1:6-9).
  • Family-equipping ministry is measured by lasting disciples rather than attendance campaigns and focuses on the glory of our matchless Savior (John 15:1-15).
  • Family-equipping ministry truly partners with parents and prioritizes the task of resourcing, training, and involving parents as the primary disciplers of their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
  • Family-equipping ministry prioritizes and champions equally the two institutions that are God-given: the Family and the Church (Acts 2:42-47).
  • Family-equipping ministry seeks men who are biblically qualified pastors rather than charming activity directors (1 Timothy 3:1-7).
  • Family-equipping ministry develops a ministry environment that is healthy for a student pastor and his family; an environment where pastors will desire to stay long past today’s destructive, brief tenures (Matthew 10:10).
  • Family-equipping ministry seeks to mentor students for adulthood, marriage, and family rather than seeking to develop lifelong youth group attendees (1 Corinthians 13:11).
  • Family-equipping ministry invites, teaches, and expects older generations to invest in those younger in the faith (2 Timothy 2:2).

Steve Wright is Assistant Pastor of Student Ministries at Providence Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina and the author of reThink and ApParent Privilege. Steve and his wife, Tina, live in Raleigh with their three children, Sara, William and Tyler.

Leadership

Randy Stinson

Dr. Randy Stinson

Dean of the School of Church Ministries
William Cutrer

Dr. William Cutrer

C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Ministry; Director, Gheens Center for Family Ministry
Timothy Paul Jones

Dr. Timothy Paul Jones

Associate Professor of Leadership and Church Ministries; Editor of The Journal of Discipleship and Family Ministry; Director of the Doctor of Education Program