Building Faith at Home: Why Family Ministry Should Be Your Church's #1 Priority [Hardcover]

Mark Holmen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2007

Studies show that faith lived out in the home is more influential than the Church. Unfortunately studies also show that prayer, Bible reading and faith talk are almost non-existent in most Christian families. What can be done to reestablish the home as the primary place where faith is nurtured? Start with pastors who can set the tone for the importance of family ministry throughout the church. Building Faith at Home challenges pastors to do as Mark Holmen did—change from being a pastor who gave little attention to family ministry to being a senior pastor who has made family ministry a top priority in his church. Part of an exciting Faith at Home initiative, this book offers a vision and a practical model for how to weave family ministry into the DNA of churches. Holmen gives pastors the tools they need to consider the level of their commitment to family ministry and an integrated approach that can revolutionize their approach to this vital ministry.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

While church programs and Sunday school can do much to encourage belief in today’s youth, studies have shown that the influence of a family upon a child is much stronger. In fact, mom and dad are two-to-three times more influential than any church program in passing on a lifelong faith to their children. What does this mean for our ministries to families and children? It’s time for the church to reestablish the home as the primary place where faith is nurtured. If we truly want to rescue families, we need to change our approach to family ministry. Instead of encouraging parents to drop off their kids for faith building at church, pastors need to partner with parents to equip them for faith building at home.Building Faith at Home will challenge you to do as Mark Holmen did—change from being a pastor who gave little attention to family ministry to being a senior pastor who has made family ministry a top priority in his church. Part of an exciting Faith at Home initiative, this book offers a vision and a practical model for how to weave family ministry into the DNA of your church. Holmen supplies the tools needed to consider your church’s level of commitment to family ministry and an integrated approach that can revolutionize your approach to this vital ministry no matter what size church you serve.  If you are a pastor, church or lay leader, this book is a must-read as it will help you view your ministry from a perspective that has been overlooked and underestimated.      

About the Author

MARK A. HOLMEN is a national and international consultant and speaker for the Faith At Home movement, which equips congregations to make the home the primary place where faith is nurtured. Mark served as senior pastor of Ventura Missionary Church until 2009, when he stepped down in order to pursue full-time Faith At Home ministry. Mark and his wife, Maria, have been married for more than 18 years and have a daughter, Malyn.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Regal (August 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830745025
• ISBN-13: 978-0830745029
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another home run!, November 10, 2009

By 

Justin (Phoenix, AZ, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Faith at Home: Why Family Ministry Should Be Your Church's #1 Priority (Hardcover)

An excellent case for making children a priority in church rather than relegating them to a back Sunday school room somewhere. Very readable - something you could get through in an evening or two. Provides a solid research base without boring you with statistics. Then shows you where to go in a clear, understandable manner without the dryness of a textbook. A bit more contemporary than Ben Freudenburg's classic The Family Friendly Church (which is still a must read). For those wanting a readable book on marriage and family ministry that stays closer to the biblical text I suggest Rob Rienow's Visionary Parenting.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Making parents spiritual mentors, February 9, 2009

By 

Jim V. Butcher II (WV, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Building Faith at Home: Why Family Ministry Should Be Your Church's #1 Priority (Hardcover)

Our church is in the process of trying to empower parents to take responsibility for their kids' spiritual development. The main idea we're pursuing is that it's the parents and not the church who have the Biblical responsibility.

The problem we've run into is that there's not a lot of practical ideas out there on how to do that. This book was pretty good in that regard, although we're now going to buy the package they have that includes their classes for parents.

Well worth your time if you're pursuing these ideas.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, January 19, 2011

By 

Chris Jordan (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Church + Home: The Proven Formula For Building Lifelong Faith (Hardcover)

The book strikes the right emphasis and tone. Parents need to recognize their vital role in the spiritual formation of their children. Some have gone to the extreme and abandoned their position as parents, while others have reacted too far abandoned the church. Neither is right. There should be no competition between church and home. Parents must raise their children in the truths of Jesus Christ, and partner with the church (the BODAY OF CHRIST) for lifelong faith.