Connecting Church and Home: David Horner

This is an event going on in Brentwood, TN this weekend. Title of conference says it all.
David Horner opened the night:
Leading Churches with the Family in Mind…”We’ve Got to Get Better at This”
This is not a 6-step program.
1 Thessalonians 4.1
“We want to excel still more” We are doing well at ministry, but we want to excel still more. What do we need to think about and process to make the connection of family and ministry within the church? I don’t have any interest in just doing church for the sake of doing church. There has to be more to it.
Family ministry is not a new concept. This must be something that resonates at the core of who we are. This is a life-long process–relationally taking people deep into the Scriptures. We don’t have to juice it up or make it relevant. We have so diluted this and what it looks like over the years–we must come back to a simple way of communicating Christ to the next generation.
Scripture makes it simple yet so profound that it takes our whole lives to figure it out. “Live it out in front of somebody.” Give authenticity to it. Put words to it.
Once we get over the idea that the goal of youth ministry is not about the programs, rallies, cool names, events, people “getting there,” perhaps we can recognize that it’s about something more: the glory of Jesus. Our task is to show them the reality of Jesus. Our goal is not building programs. Our desire is Christlikeness (Col 1.28). We need to introduce them to Christ and help them grow in maturity in Christ. The goal for the church and the family is the same plan.
In the church and family, God’s plan converges:
1. The purpose is that God may be glorified.
2. The purpose is that the nations may be blessed (Gen 12, 15)
3. The purpose is that your joy may be full.
In church and family, God’s pattern is compelling:
1. Complementary, not conflicting roles
a. Family: involvement
b. Church: Integrity
i. The church needs to know that there needs to be time in the family’s schedule for discipleship and ministry to take place in the home. We want to build strong families. We don’t need to weigh them down with “stuff”.
c. Representative, not contradictory functions
i. Spiritual leadership: consistent character
Spiritual maturity: continuous consecration
ii. Spiritual priorities: common calling
1. The one-anothers of Scripture need to be played out both in the church and in the family
In church and family, God’s passion connects:
1. Psalm 145.3-5
2. 1 Thessalonians 4.1
An Enduring Partnership of Authenticity for Christ. This partnership emerges from :
a. An intentional culture. Numbers aren’t the only things that matter. We want to build up others in Christ.
b. An integration of principles instead of innovative gimmicks and imposed guilt. Not silos, but an intentional culture in the whole church – like redwoods– all rooted together – to present everyone built up in Christ.
c. The principle-based approach. Matthew 7.24. What is happening so our families aren’t reflecting our culture, but reflecting God’s love to the culture? Do we want poster-children for the book of Ecclesiastes – or solid followers of Christ? Ecclesiastes 2.10-11. 2 Peter 1.3-4
d. 2 Timothy 3.16-17. This is the foundation for the youth of our churches. 2 Peter 1.3
The partnership produces:
a. A contagious and dynamic relationship with Christ.
i. More caught than taught
ii. More attractive than arranged
iii. More authentic than juts words.
iv. More loving than demanding
b. A consistent and supportive relationship with each other.
i. Consistency at home (Dt. 6.5-9). Personalize this.
ii. Support at church (Acts 20.17-32).