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By Ken and Helen Bryant
Webster’s dictionary defines evangelism as "a zealous effort to spread the gospel." One way this can be done is through a strong Family Life Ministry. Family life is not that easy to define, and unless it’s extremely dysfunctional we usually aren’t looking to fix it. Family life is not something we go looking for--but just something we are. When things aren’t going well at home it creates stresses in all other areas of life.
Ken and Helen Bryant -- Family Life Directors
In Great Controversy, page 508, we read, "Satan is intruding his presence into every department of the household . . . breaking up families . . " According to research, all is not well in the American family. We are bombarded with the woes and statistics in the media. A recent news article suggests that better than 80% of Americans eat their evening meal in front of the TV. Many are sacrificing "family togetherness" for a few moments of entertainment. Even in the church there are challenges along this line. Because most people have busy work schedules and limited time, the potluck dinner has replaced the old fashioned, "come home with us for Sabbath dinner" hospitality. Somehow we need to provide opportunities for families to spend more time together, and eating together at the family table is a positive sign of family togetherness.
Family values can have a redeeming influence. Ellen White says, "Your home is the most powerful sermon you will ever preach" (MH 352). Married or single, the quality of family life gives true meaning to all of our relationships including evangelism. We know the doctrines of the church, and have perfected the fine art of delivery and persuasion, but that’s only the beginning of what it takes to establish new converts.
If our commission to do evangelism is to follow the Master’s example, then it’s imperative to meet the needs of those around us, and those immediate needs may not always be overtly spiritual. Evangelism is a process of building relationships and introducing individuals to the Good News of Jesus Christ--and an added responsibility to this is that of helping establish people into the body of believers (the church family).
Finding effective tools
We are not lacking information on Family Life--indeed we may even have an information overload. It was estimated that one Christian bookstore in central Florida had more than 3000 different family life books by various experts--any one of which could be used as a basic text for an outreach seminar.
Some years ago, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper did a survey of the fastest growing churches in central Florida to see what they had in common. The reporter discovered that along with good gospel preaching, the churches that were mushrooming in growth had active Family Life programs such as, pre-marriage and marriage counseling, parenting, ministering to singles, single parenting, marriage enrichment, divorce and grief recovery and financial seminars. Even television and radio preachers have "seen the light" and are trying to use this avenue to open hearts and homes of America to the gospel. How can we do any less?
Ken and Helen Bryant were Family Life directors for the Florida Conference when they submitted this article.