C
I have been involved with churches in the past where 'the family' was clearly an idol, where every dime spent and every activity planned was for specifically meant for 'the families' within the church, without the slightest concern for the lost, poor, sick or needy families in the surrounding community. Self serving congregations like these thrive on luring more families into their churches thus more time and more money is being spent on bigger venues / buildings and more extravagant events which serve to lure more families into their one time church which has now evolved into a social club / activity center thus drawing more attention unto themselves and away from those in dire need.
I do hope that you all can see and sense my concern. By no means would I ever want to minimize the importance of family. However, I do feel that our children would appreciate and respect both their parents and the church more if the church planned activities where the entire family could serve with one another, helping others less fortunate than ourselves thus teaching our children not only the importance of serving others but also obtaining for themselves that sense of purpose and fulfillment that comes with seeing lives transformed by and for God's glory.
I do hope that you all can see and sense my concern. By no means would I ever want to minimize the importance of family. However, I do feel that our children would appreciate and respect both their parents and the church more if the church planned activities where the entire family could serve with one another, helping others less fortunate than ourselves thus teaching our children not only the importance of serving others but also obtaining for themselves that sense of purpose and fulfillment that comes with seeing lives transformed by and for God's glory.