1. Families are in Trouble 現今家庭出現問題

• The Divine ideals for marriage and family are scarcely evident在婚姻和家庭中看不見上帝所定的標準

• Changes in the world brought about significantsocial changes:

世界不斷變化導致社會有重大的轉變:

Social Changes Affecting Marriage and Family社會轉變影響著婚姻和家庭

• Attitudes toward marriage‧對婚姻的態度

Marriage is changing from a lifelong commitment to a less

permanent contractual arrangement based on

personal fulfillment以前，婚姻是終身的承諾現在，婚姻只是一紙可隨時中止關係的契約，用來滿足個人的成就感而已

• Role Conflicts‧角色衝突

* Working wives outside the home requires change of roles and responsibilities

在職妻子在外工作時，必須把自己在家中的角色和責任改變

* The need for a more flexible role structure is a source of considerable stress

這種靈活處理角色的做法，就是壓力的來源

• Financial Pressures‧財政壓力

* Rising costs of living and the desire for material possessions have driven many to search for:

生活水平上升和人對物質的渴求，使很多人追求：

better wages 更好的入息additional jobs 多份工作

more education更高的學歷overextend credit 延長的信貸

• Sexual Revolution‧性觀念大轉變

* Traditional mores concerning sexuality have been eroded (e.g. cohabitation)

傳統的性道德觀已經被破壞 (例如：同居)

* Homosexual as well as premarital and extramarital sexual experiencesare common

同性戀、婚前性行為和婚外情已變得普遍

• Parenting Inadequacy‧親子教育不足

* Parents are involved with pressures and responsibilities of work that result in:

‧父母因工作的壓力和責任，以致：

--little time with their children陪伴兒女的時間減少

--little opportunity for meaningful relationships與兒女建立親子關係的機會減少

• Family Violence‧家庭暴力

* All family members—husbands, wives,parents, grandparents and children—are victimized by family violence.

所有家庭成員，包括丈夫、妻子、父母、祖父母和兒女，都是家庭暴力的受害者* Child abuse has reached epidemic

proportions 虐兒個案越來越多

• Escalating DivorceRate

‧離婚率上升

Contributing factors include:成因包括:•Unresolved marital conflict,未解決的婚姻衝突

•* Softening of divorce laws‧監管離婚的法律太弱

* Better economic conditions for women婦女的經濟條件變得更好

• Increase in One-parent Households單親家庭增加

* Increase in out-of-wedlock births,rise in the number of marital break-ups have led to a dramatic rise in the number of one-parent households and divided parenting situations

未婚生子個案增加、離婚個案上升導致單親家庭和父母分開照顧兒女的數字增加

• Remarriage andBlended Families父母再婚及繼親家庭

* Many who lose marital partners soon remarry another who bring their children to this marriage很多失婚的人，很快就與另一人結婚，而對方也有自己的兒女。

• EncroachingSecularism

世俗主義的入侵

* Though connected with the church, Christians too live in a fallen world. Secularism, thought of here as the antithesis of spirituality, is making inroads in families

雖然基督徒與教會有聯繫，但他們也生活在這墮落的世界中。這裡所指的世俗主義，就是與上帝對抗的思想，正入侵很多家庭。

2. The Family Needs Nurtureand Instruction

今日家庭需要培育和指導

The challenge facing the Church is to nurture its members, presenting biblical concepts of marriage, parenting and family living今日教會的挑戰就是要培育教友的屬靈生命、從聖經中教導他們認識婚姻、親子教育和家庭生活的觀念

Work in groups of twoWork in groups of two’’s or threes or three’’s and come up with a list s and come up with a list of ideas for Family Evangelismof ideas for Family Evangelism

22--33人一組，想出一些家庭佈道的方法人一組，想出一些家庭佈道的方法E.g.: Spend special time alone with each child E.g.: Spend special time alone with each child

discussing their spiritual life.discussing their spiritual life.

例如例如: : 花些時間單獨與孩子在一起，花些時間單獨與孩子在一起，談論一下他們的屬靈生活談論一下他們的屬靈生活

E.g.: Have a prayer list for nonE.g.: Have a prayer list for non--Christian Christian relativesrelatives

例如例如: : 為非基督徒親友代禱的清單為非基督徒親友代禱的清單

a. Focus on God’s Purposefor the Family

集中於上帝設立家庭的目的

• Truths regarding the familyhas been divinely revealed

聖經已揭示了有關家庭的真理

• The idea of family is God’sdesign

家庭的概念是上帝計劃的

• God knows how a familyfunctions best

上帝知道家庭怎樣運作才是最好

•• Family first Family first 以家庭為首以家庭為首•• Helping children to a place of faithHelping children to a place of faith‧‧幫助孩子信靠上帝，對上帝忠心幫助孩子信靠上帝，對上帝忠心•• The blessing of a Christian partnerThe blessing of a Christian partner‧‧你的配偶必須是基督徒你的配偶必須是基督徒

Our Mission Inside Our HomesOur Mission Inside Our Homes

b. Unfold the spiritual dynamicsthat are at work in families把家庭的屬靈動力顯示出來

• A well-rounded ministry places high priorities on spiritual emphasis

一個完美的服務事工永遠是將屬靈的事放在首位

• Teach and encourage interesting ways of conducting family worships

教導和鼓勵父母用有趣的方法舉行家庭崇拜

c. Present Scriptural conceptsof family living表達聖經對家庭生活的觀念

The challenge of the church is to present Scriptural concepts of: 教會的挑戰就是要向人表達聖經對以下方面的觀念：

• marriage 婚姻• parenting親子教育• family living家庭生活

d. Include Life in HolisticMinistry

家庭事工是包括每一個人• Include families as integral

to church activities:全家人參與教會活動:

* family participationin church worship

全家人參與教會崇拜* family evangelism家庭佈道會

* family involvement inoutreach programs社區佈道節目