Here are some thoughtful analyses of the Family Integrated Model:
Believe to Reason is lead by a pastor of a mixed church: FIC and programatic.
The Family Integrated Ministry Model.
He also has an analysis of the program church.
Book Review: Family Driven Faith--by one who likes the book but has one reservation...
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Educational Hubris
Here's an excerpt from a thoughtful article on what was called patriarchalism (which in many circles may properly be dubbed Radical Homeschooling and Family-Integrated Churches):
Hubris
"The new patriarchalists would be less offensive if they couched their hegemonic views, well, less hegemonically. Why not simply say, “We’re attempting to recover a more consistent view of the family, and we know some dear Christians will not agree, and we know that most of orthodox Christianity stands against us, but we would humbly ask that you consider these things.”
No, it often is something like this: “Fathers, until we came along, have been irresponsible, and they are irresponsibly sending their daughters off to college, and they are sending their children to Christian day schools, and they are irresponsibly attending churches that sponsor age-graded Sunday School. They need to quit sinning, and start taking responsibility.”
I am exaggerating, but not by much. Christians, like all humans, are susceptible to fads, and this hegemonic patriarchalism is one of the latest fads that has emerged popularly, and will eventually die quietly."
Hubris
"The new patriarchalists would be less offensive if they couched their hegemonic views, well, less hegemonically. Why not simply say, “We’re attempting to recover a more consistent view of the family, and we know some dear Christians will not agree, and we know that most of orthodox Christianity stands against us, but we would humbly ask that you consider these things.”
No, it often is something like this: “Fathers, until we came along, have been irresponsible, and they are irresponsibly sending their daughters off to college, and they are sending their children to Christian day schools, and they are irresponsibly attending churches that sponsor age-graded Sunday School. They need to quit sinning, and start taking responsibility.”
I am exaggerating, but not by much. Christians, like all humans, are susceptible to fads, and this hegemonic patriarchalism is one of the latest fads that has emerged popularly, and will eventually die quietly."
Monday, August 3, 2009
If Everybody Homeschooled...
Imagine in the not-too-distant future that almost every Christian family homeschooled.
That every church jettisoned its Sunday schools and youth groups.
That every family practiced discipleship and the fear of God.
That every father nurtured his children with daily prayer and Bible reading.
That every child said 'yes sir' and 'thank you.'
That drunkenness would be gone. And pornography outlawed. And abortion eliminated.
That the churches would be full every Sunday.
Full of dead man's bones.
You see, dear reader, having homeschooling (or whatever-schooling) and discipleship and nurture and upstanding citizens and white picket fences are about as useful as building a perfect outhouse but not cleaning up the inside. Why? Because preaching methods without the Message can lead to hypocrisy.
The Pharisees were masters at preaching method (obedience to the Law). And they railed against external wickedness while leaving the internal heart untouched. They had all Law and no Gospel.
Heretics--those denying the fundamentals of the Protestant Reformation--can homeschool, disciple and nurture their children--even better than orthodox Protestants. So, is the sufficient difference between godliness and ungodliness activity, obedience and doing?
No.
Although obedience is important and required, it is meaningless if the obedience is toward a god of one's own making. If all the self-professing Christians in America disciple, correct, love and perpetually nurture their children for the name-it-and-claim-it 'god' what has been accomplished??
Many self-identified Christians--even in homeschooling circles--believe they are saved by works (just go to the Barna group statistics). Many others believe that Jesus sinned or that God changes His mind. Others believe that baptism saves. Or deny original sin. Still others believe that God is impotent to save. Or that faith plus works justifies.
The list goes on.
Imagine if everyone homeschooled but worshiped the wrong god. Then what? The educational goal would be gained but the soul lost.
That every church jettisoned its Sunday schools and youth groups.
That every family practiced discipleship and the fear of God.
That every father nurtured his children with daily prayer and Bible reading.
That every child said 'yes sir' and 'thank you.'
That drunkenness would be gone. And pornography outlawed. And abortion eliminated.
That the churches would be full every Sunday.
Full of dead man's bones.
You see, dear reader, having homeschooling (or whatever-schooling) and discipleship and nurture and upstanding citizens and white picket fences are about as useful as building a perfect outhouse but not cleaning up the inside. Why? Because preaching methods without the Message can lead to hypocrisy.
The Pharisees were masters at preaching method (obedience to the Law). And they railed against external wickedness while leaving the internal heart untouched. They had all Law and no Gospel.
Heretics--those denying the fundamentals of the Protestant Reformation--can homeschool, disciple and nurture their children--even better than orthodox Protestants. So, is the sufficient difference between godliness and ungodliness activity, obedience and doing?
No.
Although obedience is important and required, it is meaningless if the obedience is toward a god of one's own making. If all the self-professing Christians in America disciple, correct, love and perpetually nurture their children for the name-it-and-claim-it 'god' what has been accomplished??
Many self-identified Christians--even in homeschooling circles--believe they are saved by works (just go to the Barna group statistics). Many others believe that Jesus sinned or that God changes His mind. Others believe that baptism saves. Or deny original sin. Still others believe that God is impotent to save. Or that faith plus works justifies.
The list goes on.
Imagine if everyone homeschooled but worshiped the wrong god. Then what? The educational goal would be gained but the soul lost.
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