Two views on the health and wisdom of the Family Integrated Church movement

These are quotes from a recent email discussion. My summary is at the very bottom.


View One - Potential Allies

"They largely come from baptistic and pietistic backgrounds (which gets a little intolerable, sometimes). But, largely, I consider them allies in the faith. [They] have done MUCH to influence a following into Reformed doctrine."

"The main idea of "family integrated" was to eliminate children's church, youth groups, and divided-up groups, and emphasize the whole family in the worship service. Additionally, it emphasized family devotions/worship/Bible study, at home where the father would take on the spiritual responsibility that had been previously (if any) relegated to the mother. His job was more than bringing home the bacon; but raising up his children in the Lord. Most of these fathers have no confessional/creed/catechism understanding or background. Yet, once they see they don't have to become Catholics to practice such things, they generally embrace it."

View Two - Potential Troublers

"I don't know about this. The folk we've had come through here think of themselves as fully formed and they're here to teach you. What that translates into is immature, grumpy, highly opinionated people who are always quick to jump all over people for their clothing, movies they watch, not homeschooling, feeding their kids Hostess Twinkies, and not having their boys dress up like Davey Crockett until they're 18. This means pastors and elders constantly have to steer them away from new people so they don't scare the crap out of them. Who needs that kind of stress?"

Back to View One

"These people… were effectively run out of their baptist circles because they wanted to keep their children in the main service, and not have them sent off to children's church. That is the kind of nonsense these folks are responding to, by building something on their own where the kids can stay in the service. Help them; don’t blast them."

I found myself agreeing with both of these views, as some folks are loving, sensitive to church life and open to hearing teaching that isn't their exact view; while others are inexperienced in living together as the church and think they have all the answers to the church's problems already.