Who invented the family?
God, of course.
Who invented age segregation?
Man.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have age segregation in our churches. Age segregation has always been around.
So has sin. That doesn’t justify it being in the church.
In order to define our terms: “Traditional Church”- or TC- is where the family walks into the building and the children go to Sunday school, children’s church, and youth ministry while the adults go to the sanctuary for “real church.” “Family Integrated Church”- or FIC- is where the entire congregation worships in the same room, at the same time.
A TC sorts people according to age. A FIC sorts people according to family.
A TC assigns a “staff member” to teach each sorted group (class). A FC assigns the parents to teach each group. (Or more accurately, acknowledges that God has assigned the parents to teach the children.)
Both train and equip their teachers to do their job.
A TC needs a sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, bathrooms, and a classroom for each group (often more than 50% of the needed square footage of the facilities.) A FIC needs a sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen and bathrooms. Their “educational groups” meet in their own homes.
There is no direct biblical support for TC, and any indirect support is iffy at best. There is a great deal of biblical support for the family to be the main educational unit in a child’s life and for a child to receive an exclusively Christian education.
Deuteronomy 6:7, “Teach [My Words] unto your children talking of them when you do your errands in town, rest in the evening, get ready for the day, and do your day’s work.” (In other words; Every Waking Moment.)
Ephesians 6:4, “Parents, don’t frustrate your children but bring them up in the education and culture of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,”
Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
Exodus 8: 8 “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me.”
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (It is learning God’s laws that brings us to Christ.)
Jeremiah 10:2 “Thus says the LORD: “ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;…”
Psalm 1: 2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates DAY AND NIGHT.” (This includes school hours).
2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing EVERY THOUGHT into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (Even math thoughts)
Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Luke 6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained (finished with his schooling) will be like his teacher.” (and if his teacher isn’t a chirsitian…)
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Matthew 16:23 “But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not MINDFUL OF THE THINGS OF GOD, but the things of men.”
Colossians 3:1 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the first and great commandment.”
(On the affects of non-Christian associations) 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” (Remember that “the fool says in his heart there is no God.” So anyone who walks with, or spends time with, someone who doesn’t acknowledge God is on the path to destruction.)
Matthew 18:6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
(The content of true education)
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (What more do you need from an education?)
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (True education BEGINS with the fear of God, but atheists despise true knowledge.)
Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”
Proverbs 2:6 “For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;”
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
James 3:13-18 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and SELF-SEEKING IN YOUR HEARTS (hints of the many “self-esteem” mantras taught in schools today?), do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, (such as competing for the best grades) confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
Psalm 119:97-101 “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.”
2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL THESE THINGS (including a good education) shall be added to you.”
(Children belong to God)
Ezekiel “that you have slain MY CHILDREN and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?”
Matthew 22:21 “They say unto him, ‘Caesar's.’ Then saith He unto them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Caesar’s image was carved on the money. Render the tax coin to Caesar. Our children are carved in the image of God. Give them to Him.)
Let’s look at some numbers.
(I believe God calls some churches to be small no matter what. Some people need the energy of a large church and others need the much more personalized attention and accountability of a smaller congregation. For this reason, God has created many different sizes of congregations (with the “average” church being around 60 people). As a result, we cannot measure a church’s success by the size of its membership role. That would be comparing apples and oranges. We CAN compare percentage of retention. In other words, what percentage of children who attend a certain church continue to serve God into their twenties? For example, I would rate a church with ten children who all grow up to serve God faithfully much higher than a church with 1000 children, 90% of whom backslide as soon as they become adults. The second church failed in their assigned job of “Training up their children in the way they should go.”
Another valid measure would be the percentage of those who make a decision for Christ who are still serving Him five years down the road, but we are dealing with children in this discussion.)
Children who grow up in Christian homes, TC, and public school have a retention rate of 15%.
Children who grow up in Christian homes and FIC have a retention rate of 80%.
Children who are homeschooled have a retention rate of 96%.
Combine homeschooling and FIC and you get very close to 100%
History
“Sunday School” was invented by John Wesley. In England in his time, there were no compulsory attendance laws. Since they did not have the history of literacy given to us Americans by the pilgrims, this meant that the children of the poor often worked instead of going to school and their parents were too illiterate themselves to teach them. Mr. Wesley (founder of the Methodist Church), began teaching READING (in free classes) on most poor children’s only day off- Sunday. This allowed them to read the Bible for themselves. It was a wonderful ministry and resulted in a vast increase in the Christian church. He brought “Sunday School” to America. Here it quickly spread also, making a real difference in the lives of illiterate immigrants.
Soon after this, America began to pass compulsory attendance laws. Before this, it was the norm for a truly Christian family to read the Bible, sing hymns, and pray together after every meal (“Whenever you break bread, do it in remembrance of Me.”) Also, since most parents simply taught their children themselves, they would use the most important Book in the house as their main textbook (Since the average book at this time cost more than a week’s salary, it may even have been the only book, though eyewitnesses of the time claim the majority of homes also had a Euclid’s Geometry and it wasn’t unusual to find a law book or two). Penmanship assignments would be copying scripture on slates. Memorization would be verses, (One family I read about required one verse be memorized every DAY! That’s nearly 4000 verses memorized by the end of a ten year education!) And each child would have an actual Bible study to do every day, often learning Greek and Hebrew in order to research the original meaning of the Word, (When you read of women complaining because they were not “educated,” it meant they were not taught Greek and Hebrew. They could read and write better than we can today, as you will see if you read their original diaries). With the new laws, these children were forced into schools- against their parent’s wishes (often at gun point)- during their best hours of the day. The schools continued the Bible studies and the parents, not wanting to overwork their children, quit theirs at home. By the next generation or so, radio was invented and families would gather around it instead the Bible after meals. After all, the children were learning all the Bible stuff at school (though more of it was being removed form the curriculum every year) and more and more churches were having Sunday schools, which were beginning to teach the Bible, as well as reading. The children were being taught that it was the church’s and school’s job to teach the Bible to children. Then came TV and the court rulings removing prayer and Bible from the schools. Today, we honestly think a parent has fulfilled his job of “bringing up his child in the culture and education of the Lord” if he doesn’t steal, cuss or cheat and drives his child to church once per week for a one hour Bible class.
Classic divide and conquer tactics. Satan did a good job of it, didn’t he?
God, of course.
Who invented age segregation?
Man.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have age segregation in our churches. Age segregation has always been around.
So has sin. That doesn’t justify it being in the church.
In order to define our terms: “Traditional Church”- or TC- is where the family walks into the building and the children go to Sunday school, children’s church, and youth ministry while the adults go to the sanctuary for “real church.” “Family Integrated Church”- or FIC- is where the entire congregation worships in the same room, at the same time.
A TC sorts people according to age. A FIC sorts people according to family.
A TC assigns a “staff member” to teach each sorted group (class). A FC assigns the parents to teach each group. (Or more accurately, acknowledges that God has assigned the parents to teach the children.)
Both train and equip their teachers to do their job.
A TC needs a sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, bathrooms, and a classroom for each group (often more than 50% of the needed square footage of the facilities.) A FIC needs a sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen and bathrooms. Their “educational groups” meet in their own homes.
There is no direct biblical support for TC, and any indirect support is iffy at best. There is a great deal of biblical support for the family to be the main educational unit in a child’s life and for a child to receive an exclusively Christian education.
Deuteronomy 6:7, “Teach [My Words] unto your children talking of them when you do your errands in town, rest in the evening, get ready for the day, and do your day’s work.” (In other words; Every Waking Moment.)
Ephesians 6:4, “Parents, don’t frustrate your children but bring them up in the education and culture of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,”
Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
Exodus 8: 8 “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me.”
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (It is learning God’s laws that brings us to Christ.)
Jeremiah 10:2 “Thus says the LORD: “ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;…”
Psalm 1: 2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates DAY AND NIGHT.” (This includes school hours).
2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing EVERY THOUGHT into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (Even math thoughts)
Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Luke 6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained (finished with his schooling) will be like his teacher.” (and if his teacher isn’t a chirsitian…)
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Matthew 16:23 “But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not MINDFUL OF THE THINGS OF GOD, but the things of men.”
Colossians 3:1 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the first and great commandment.”
(On the affects of non-Christian associations) 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” (Remember that “the fool says in his heart there is no God.” So anyone who walks with, or spends time with, someone who doesn’t acknowledge God is on the path to destruction.)
Matthew 18:6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
(The content of true education)
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (What more do you need from an education?)
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (True education BEGINS with the fear of God, but atheists despise true knowledge.)
Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”
Proverbs 2:6 “For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;”
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
James 3:13-18 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and SELF-SEEKING IN YOUR HEARTS (hints of the many “self-esteem” mantras taught in schools today?), do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, (such as competing for the best grades) confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
Psalm 119:97-101 “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.”
2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL THESE THINGS (including a good education) shall be added to you.”
(Children belong to God)
Ezekiel “that you have slain MY CHILDREN and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?”
Matthew 22:21 “They say unto him, ‘Caesar's.’ Then saith He unto them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Caesar’s image was carved on the money. Render the tax coin to Caesar. Our children are carved in the image of God. Give them to Him.)
Let’s look at some numbers.
(I believe God calls some churches to be small no matter what. Some people need the energy of a large church and others need the much more personalized attention and accountability of a smaller congregation. For this reason, God has created many different sizes of congregations (with the “average” church being around 60 people). As a result, we cannot measure a church’s success by the size of its membership role. That would be comparing apples and oranges. We CAN compare percentage of retention. In other words, what percentage of children who attend a certain church continue to serve God into their twenties? For example, I would rate a church with ten children who all grow up to serve God faithfully much higher than a church with 1000 children, 90% of whom backslide as soon as they become adults. The second church failed in their assigned job of “Training up their children in the way they should go.”
Another valid measure would be the percentage of those who make a decision for Christ who are still serving Him five years down the road, but we are dealing with children in this discussion.)
Children who grow up in Christian homes, TC, and public school have a retention rate of 15%.
Children who grow up in Christian homes and FIC have a retention rate of 80%.
Children who are homeschooled have a retention rate of 96%.
Combine homeschooling and FIC and you get very close to 100%
History
“Sunday School” was invented by John Wesley. In England in his time, there were no compulsory attendance laws. Since they did not have the history of literacy given to us Americans by the pilgrims, this meant that the children of the poor often worked instead of going to school and their parents were too illiterate themselves to teach them. Mr. Wesley (founder of the Methodist Church), began teaching READING (in free classes) on most poor children’s only day off- Sunday. This allowed them to read the Bible for themselves. It was a wonderful ministry and resulted in a vast increase in the Christian church. He brought “Sunday School” to America. Here it quickly spread also, making a real difference in the lives of illiterate immigrants.
Soon after this, America began to pass compulsory attendance laws. Before this, it was the norm for a truly Christian family to read the Bible, sing hymns, and pray together after every meal (“Whenever you break bread, do it in remembrance of Me.”) Also, since most parents simply taught their children themselves, they would use the most important Book in the house as their main textbook (Since the average book at this time cost more than a week’s salary, it may even have been the only book, though eyewitnesses of the time claim the majority of homes also had a Euclid’s Geometry and it wasn’t unusual to find a law book or two). Penmanship assignments would be copying scripture on slates. Memorization would be verses, (One family I read about required one verse be memorized every DAY! That’s nearly 4000 verses memorized by the end of a ten year education!) And each child would have an actual Bible study to do every day, often learning Greek and Hebrew in order to research the original meaning of the Word, (When you read of women complaining because they were not “educated,” it meant they were not taught Greek and Hebrew. They could read and write better than we can today, as you will see if you read their original diaries). With the new laws, these children were forced into schools- against their parent’s wishes (often at gun point)- during their best hours of the day. The schools continued the Bible studies and the parents, not wanting to overwork their children, quit theirs at home. By the next generation or so, radio was invented and families would gather around it instead the Bible after meals. After all, the children were learning all the Bible stuff at school (though more of it was being removed form the curriculum every year) and more and more churches were having Sunday schools, which were beginning to teach the Bible, as well as reading. The children were being taught that it was the church’s and school’s job to teach the Bible to children. Then came TV and the court rulings removing prayer and Bible from the schools. Today, we honestly think a parent has fulfilled his job of “bringing up his child in the culture and education of the Lord” if he doesn’t steal, cuss or cheat and drives his child to church once per week for a one hour Bible class.
Classic divide and conquer tactics. Satan did a good job of it, didn’t he?
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