KAFM: Family Ministry For Discipleship & Education of Our Young In The Lord

KAFM views the education of children as synonymous with the discipling of our children as the beloved & called of Christ. Thus the purpose, passions, and desired end of education are all rooted in, and directed by the Word of God to the best of our understanding. We view discipleship of our children by the Word of God as a complete form of education that is lacking in nothing necessary for a life in godliness. Christian education in our estimate is not the cloaking of Christian themes or values over the worlds education system, but it is rather the denying of worldly conformity by the drawing close to God. This is purposed that one might know/witness His transformation upon the student and have evidenced out the passion and desire of God upon the lives of his disciples. When this takes place, the goodness and fullness of the life of God has been made known upon the student. This work of grace serves to demonstrate the goodness and depths of the wisdom of God and equips the student disciple to serve the body of Christ in the manner that God has called them to. Such is the end goal of education. In a word, worship.

We view the responsibility of Christian education/discipleship of the young as belonging to the parents, not in isolation from the church but rather in joint membership with the church. That is to say that the church has a divinely given responsibility unto the parents whereby they are strengthened, encouraged and equipped to faithfully fulfill the work of the ministry unto which they are called. The church body according to the Word of God is where God has set His passion and desire for all of His children to be strengthened, equipped and to serve. The church must take an active role not in removing the role of godly parenting but in encouraging and equipping the parents of the young that they might be strengthened and their burden made lighter. This distinction in jurisdiction and responsibility and the manner by which is most beneficial to practice such things is best found by submitting ourselves to the pure directives of scripture and allow the Word of God to direct us and drive our passion and desire. As a parent strives to operate their homes by the Word of God, they find the church to be necessary and even central to their faithful order of the home. Likewise, the church recognizes the family as being a institution of God, and the parents as ministers of God unto their children. The church is thereby called to equip the saints for the work of the ministry cannot separate itself from the equipping of the parents. However the church must be cautious that it does not subvert its duty by disregarding the parent and taking upon themselves the education of the child of the Christian home. In this I must also give clarity to leave room that it is understood that just as the church is not to isolate the parent from the child, the parent must not isolate the child from the church. It is clear in the text of the Scripture, that the church is one body with many members of that body, and that the training of a life of godliness within the life of a believer takes place within that wholeness of bodily membership. This reaffirms the centrality of the church in the home which holds the Bible at the center point of its order. The church equips and the equipped serve the church. This is how the church has been created to function, to be preserved, and to be witnesses of God, by the building up of and loving service of the saints as one to another. And this is what defines the actions of the Christian’s life. In short, the Christian parent, disciples their children to be citizens of God’s Kingdom and in doing so recognizes that the church is the Kingdom representative here on earth. Thus the noble, true and eternally benefitting purpose of education of our young is to train them to be Godward and as being of Christ, be of His Kingdom Aimed in their pursuits now as unto Forever.