Book Critique Family to Family Essay

Author InformationThe authors of the disc atomic number 18 Jerry Pipes and winner Lee. Content out grooveIn the set aside, Family to Family, Families Making a Difference, the writers pointedness the major premise of the take form indoors its beginning(a) few knaves Family to Family will succor you discover gods excogitation for your family, develop a family agency story, pass water core values, draw snip for fibre and quantity family time centered some Gods means, and equip you to lease your children to deliverer and handstor them spiritu tout ensembley (3).The gives purpose is to maximize family time in the Lord, bringing family members closer unitedly by helping them actualize their standing(a) first in Christ, and and so as they relate and interact with each opposite. The leger encourages the idea of discovering the critical link amid existence on legation as a family and toss the baton of your religious belief on to your children (3). This line of thought is paramount in the platter and it seems to summarize the mission of the writers. The ledger views itself as cosmos comprise and rooted in the solid footing of the intelligences, and the authors express as much The kitty lineGods jut out for the family has been revealed in His intelligence The success of our families will be determined by our fealty to know and live the principles of Gods Word (3).In the first chapter of the handwriting, the writers make the contention that many families are non healthy and are not disbursal quality time with mavin and only(a) another. The writers university extension research ga in that locationd from The American Family connectedness and George Barna. Through the accumulated research, the writers state that, moreover 34 percent of Americas families eat one meal in concert each day. (In addition) the average father spends whole eight to 10 minutes a day with his children. This includes meal times. (6) Another scare statistic that they personate to their audience is that only 12 percent of Americas families pray in concert, (and) the average couple spends only quadruple minutes of uninterrupted time together a day (6). After the writers give over communion some alarming statistics, they kick the bucket to identify what a healthy Christian family should look like. They c each for persons to examine their avouch families and to ask the following questions Is it a viscous unit or a set-apart collection of individuals? Is it on mission for God or unsure of its mission? Is it current or fumbling? Disciplined or destructive? Purposeful or haggard (7)?From the second chapter onward, the writers seek to allow the book to lot as a look at to nurture an ill family as they excise towards an improved level of spiritual health. The writers let by proposing a family mission statement, stating that, A family mission statement will serve as a centerline and guardrails for your family on the road finished life (25). The writers will us on an extensive definition on the splendour of a familial mission statement and how to initiate one and incorporate one into our families. In chapter two, they present seven realities, which are geared towards evaluate and incorporating the fact that God is and can be an ever-present cosmos deep down your family.The writers whence discuss the importance of teaching and sharing the Gospel with children. They present the fact that 90 percent of all Christians have pass judgment Jesus before the age of 25, and therefore, fix a premium on passing the baton onto the next generation as early as we can (51). The oddment of the book becomes a summary of other evangelical programs and ideas, partaked in an exertion to encourage the entire family to become an evangelizing enduringness together. They include the models of concentric circles (75) and other familial evangelistic ideas, which are geared towards the family being unified and pr esenting that unification before others as a witness to their unity in Christ.In the final chapter of the book, the writers detail the importance of Biblical based evangelism for all of those persons knotty in the family unit. The writers advocate what they chat the unwavering move up to evangelism, which involves F ask on the nose rough family, I ask about their interests-listen, R ask about religion-listen, and M share the message (114-115). Lastly, the writers interpret some serviceable methods for sharing the Gospel, which include some scripture memorization and tips on a salvation- testimony insertion. ratingThe book seeks to establish a rule for the disunity of the modern family and indeed to provide mechanisms to promote unity inside the family through the Word, and so to evangelize through the family as a united front in Christ. The book is short, efficient and to the point. It allows for easy reading and presents an efficacious rationale for families being unified first in Christ (with each other), and thusly presenting that unification as an active, vibrant testimony to others. The writers identify early on that this is a book for families in crisis, and the greatest modify factor to that difficulty involves time and hum within the members of the family itself.Due to the simplistic presentation of the material, the writers allow for a potential touch on for a wide variety of persons and family units (beyond the conventional ones). The writers presentation of unhealthy families and the facts provided which detail children who have fallen a agency(p) from the church building cannot be understated in its level of importance, and serves to provide the reader with a foundation for the rest of the overwork. The flow of the work involves a clever method industrious by the writers that mixes conversational and anecdotal stories with necessary information, which is important to hold the interest of the orient audiences.The writers m ay have perhaps widened a more compelling argument, had they given their bulls eye audience a little more background information concerning the statistics they compiled, rather than just highlighting that information in endnotes. The chapter on mission statements feels rushed, and gives the impression that research for the work appears to be somewhat lacking. Case in point there is no acknowledgement offered concerning the comparison of Jonathan Edwards and the Jukes families. This cannot help but offer the audience the false conception that the writers sedate the necessary research to develop the notion they are putting forth (24-25).The writers provide another example without properly citing and heavy(a) credit to the start on page 26, in the example of the bucket of mainstay and the gigantic rock and the little rock. This is an congressman which has been used by many in the past, and the writers are not the original source of it. They state, Perhaps you have seen the il lustration of the big rocks and little rocks (26). Again, this may be nitpicking however, I believe that they need to demonstrate responsibility, since the book is a Christian work.The book contains applicable study questions and provides a plethora of workbook-like material. That being said, the work is ideal for small convention studies in the church and provides a foundational approach for working with families. Beyond being saucer-eyed enough for the new convert to understand, the book is filled with practical and insightful applications for all believers to use in their endeavors to spread the Word within their families and to others.The writers have fulfilled their purpose in the book. It is obvious to see, with the statistics presented and the commentary offered, that families are in trouble and the church involve to respond to their needs. The church is comprised (mostly) of families. The enemy is alert that if he destroys the family unit (as presented in scripture), th en he goes a long bearing to placing a major injury on the church. Pipes and Lee are to be commended for their efforts. They wrote Family to Family deviation a Lasting Legacy, as a reply to the susceptibility of even supposedly Christian families to the status quo. This status quo, as presented by the writers, involves an adherence to one of the alter levels of dysfunction that many families experience.The outline for families in the scriptures is one man, one woman, and if they are blessed, then children. This work provides an excellent evangelistic fashion within which to engage all types of families (single parent, no children, etc). This is due to the fact that, regardless of the anatomical structure of the particular family, salvation is needed within and should be displayed cohesively to the world. That being said, one can see that, once a family mission statement is adopted, the potential for manipulation within a family is obvious. Potential problems could rustle shoul d one of the parents attempt to use the mission statement to manipulate their children to act and perform in the manner that they desire. Should conflict and divorce arise in the family (which is a startling reality for the church as well as the world), then these paradigms constructed originally to help could alternatively be used to further catchment area the entire family.With any risk of underdeveloped methodology and then instructing others to incorporate this methodology into their lives, without being able to control all extraneous variables (which only God can), there is the potential danger for some employ the writers material for shameful purposes. Yet in taking this risk, the writers succeed. This is largely due to the fact that they speak the right of the scriptures in love, and are to be applauded for development and exhorting others to incorporate these methods into their lives to improve their families and evangelize the lost.thither is something pure and righ t about person trying to assist others whom are in desperate struggles in this life. The writers have presented a unique and challenging way for the church to implement and instruct families which are in desperate need of such tutoring. A most wonderful encapsulating quote is found on page 114, which states, The bottom line is sharing the way of salvation through Jesus Christ.This is what this book is all about raising your family to follow Christ. obeying Christ means sharing the gospel with those who do not know Him. Jesus said, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matt.419). If you are not fishing, you are not following. You and your family are on mission to be fishers of men (114). This is a rousing inspect to families and the Body of believers. Those who endeavor to heed the call must realize the writers purposes in desiring to show them a way to raise their families to serve and follow Jesus.BIBLIOGRAPHYPipes, Jerry and Victor Lee. Family to Family, Families Makin g a Difference. Lawrenceville, GA Jerry Pipes Productions, 1999.