Reforming Students

Brentwood Baptist Church (Brentwood, TN)  sponsored a conference last weekend entitled, Connecting Church and Home. While I was unable to attend, I have read the live-blog notes from the conference and am very encouraged by what was shared. The conference was put together by the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and included David Horner (Providence Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC), Steve Wright (Providence Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC), Jay Strother (Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, TN), Brian Haynes (Kingsland Baptist Church, Katy, TX), Randy Stinson (SBTS; Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Louisville, KY), and Mike Glenn (Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, TN).

The goal of the conference was to give more depth of knowledge regarding the “family-equipping model” of ministry within the local church. SBTS defines this as:

The process of intentionally and persistently realigning a congregation’s proclamation and practices so that parents – and especially fathers – are acknowledged, trained and held accountable as the persons primarily responsible for the discipleship of their children.

This has been my goal in the ministry of the local church and what I have attempted to promote and encourage through this blog. In his talk, Steve Wright shared a quote from John Angell James that really gets to the heart of what we have all been trumpeting regarding family ministry and the home:

Here [in the home] fix your center, here direct your aim, here concentrate your efforts, your energies and your prayers. Remember [your children's] religious education is your business. Whatever aids you call in from ministers or teachers, you never must, you never can, you never should delegate this work. God will hold you responsible for the religion of your children – so far as means go.

Please take the time to read the live-blog from the conference. It is all fantastic stuff and I thank God for the faithfulness of these men to encourage the Church to become more biblical and more focused on what matters, not what draws the most numbers.