Current Issues Bible Study

Teaching point three: Minister to your family.

When Andrea Minor realized that her relationship with her husband was suffering because of her commitments to the ministry and to her children, she quickly implemented a plan according to which she could minister to his needs by taking time to talk with him about his day, establishing the 3B’s rule, and by committing to regular “dates.” As a result, she and her husband were able to raise three children who valued both ministry and marriage.

Christian leaders sometimes make the mistake of prioritizing their ministry over their families. The work of ministry is never done, and it’s easy to sideline your family for the various emergencies or crises that may arise at any given time. Yet, Scripture teaches us that ministry to our families is one of our most important obligations.

Read 1 Timothy 3:1–5, 12.

Although the apostle Paul was directing his comments to male deacons, this passage contains valuable insight about the importance of family for all of those called to ministry. Paul cautions, “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?).” Craig Keener, in The IVP Bible Background Commentary, writes that in the time of Paul, “it had long been accepted that the family was a microcosm of society and that a leader first needed to demonstrate his leadership skills in the home” (613). Spiritual leadership begins in the home, with our own children and our own spouses. There we lay the foundation for the rest of our ministry.

[Q] Do you agree or disagree with the statement that your family is your most important obligation as a Christian leader? Why or why not?

[Q] What other Scripture verses support the idea that the well-being of your family is foundational to your ministry? Are there any verses that seem to contradict this idea?

[Q] In what ways have you allowed your commitment to the ministry overshadow your commitment to your family?

[Q] Name the five ministry demands that most often encroach upon your family obligations.

[Q] Like Andrea, who reevaluated her schedule and how she could minister to the needs of her husband, what practical steps can you take to minister to the needs of your family?

Teaching point four: Minister as a family.

Luke and Emily Taylor had been married for seven years when they were “surprised” with the news that they were expecting a baby girl. During the course of their marriage, they had built a thriving ministry that provided single mothers with practical needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. In addition to providing for these immediate needs, the couple also offered rehabilitation services, including biblical counseling and courses in parenting and financial planning.

While Emily had always wanted a child, Luke had been resistant to the idea because he feared it would interfere with their ministry. Luke was thrilled when their daughter Amelia was born, but he was nervous about how he and Emily would balance being parents and running their ministry. Administrative duties consumed the bulk of most working days, while three evenings each week were devoted to teaching life-management courses.

Luke and Emily struggled the first years of Amelia’s life with how to balance their commitments to their ministry and their family. They took turns caring for Amelia while the other carried out the administrative duties for the ministry. They brought her with them in the evenings during their teaching times, placing her in childcare with the other children whose mothers were enrolled in the courses. Eventually, Amelia grew to love the ministry as much as her parents, and often sought opportunities to care for the other children. For the Taylors, the solution was not found so much in balancing their commitments to their ministry and their family as it was in integrating the two.

Read Acts 18:1–2, 18–26.

Priscilla and Aquila weren’t just any ordinary couple. They were expelled from their home in Rome for their Christian faith. They opened their home in Corinth to the apostle Paul for as long as he desired—a total of about 18 months. They were early theology teachers, tutoring Apollos, a powerful teacher, in the ways of God. They hosted a church in their home (1 Cor. 16:19; Rom. 16:5). They risked their lives for the apostle Paul (Rom. 16:4). The seven times they are mentioned in Scripture, Priscilla and Aquila are always mentioned together.

The Taylors, along with Priscilla and Aquila, provide valuable examples of how effective ministry can be carried out by families and married couples. When families and couples minister together, ministry becomes a team effort and the commitments to both ministry and to the family are combined.

[Q] Take a few moments to reflect on your current ministry situation. How involved is your family in your ministry?

Are you satisfied with their level of involvement? Why or why not?

Name some possibilities for how your family could participate together in ministry.

[Q] How do you think serving as a family would benefit the family?

[Q] How do you think serving as a family would benefit those you serve?

Part 3

Apply Your Findings

There may be seasons in life when our time and energy will appear to be lopsided. Perhaps we’re involved in the groundbreaking effort to launch a new ministry or plant a new church. Perhaps we need to care for a family member who is ill or to celebrate with one who is getting married or having a baby. In these cases, our attention will rightly be focused on the greatest need. But most of the time, our roles in ministry and in the family are compatible with one another.

The Scriptures do not call us to resign either role in favor of the other, but rather call us toward both. In doing so, the Scriptures equip us with helpful tools for balancing and integrating our dual calling to ministry and to our family.

Action Point: In your journal or notebook, turn to a blank page and write “Action Plan for Balance and Integration” across the top. On that sheet of paper, write your commitment to God concerning the following points:

Evaluate your schedule and activities. When could you make room for alone time with God? Where could you find a place that is free from distractions? Make it a priority to meet with God regularly during this time.

What are your limitations? What activities need to be delayed or delegated to others? For each activity, describe what is the next step you need to take in order to be released from that responsibility.

Name three specific ways you can minister to each member of your immediate family this week.

Write down a couple of ways you can get your family members involved in serving together in ministry. What are the next steps you need to take to make this happen?

—Halee Gray Scott is a writer and a professor at Azusa Pacific University. She lives in Los Angeles, California, where she is currently completing a Ph.D. in Educational Studies.