Couples for Christ
COVENANT ORIENTATION
Talk No. 3:
What Type of Family Do
You Have?
CFC is a Christian Family Life
Renewal Ministry
TheWe wantofto
strength oursupport
families in
CFC not just couples,
will determine the extent
but toLord
that the strengthen
can use usour
for
families as well
His purposes.
The Family is the basic unit of Society:
The condition of individual families will determine
the condition of society as a whole.
Understand better the meaning of our
commitment to our spouse in marriage..
Commitment and service
It is not based merely means entrusting oneself
on emotion, but on completely to the other.
covenant fidelity. It is denying oneself for
Marriage is ofa the
the good relationship
other..
of commitment and
service.
Bible Verse
Mt. 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you
and learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. 30 For my
yoke is easy and my burden is
light.”
Understand better the meaning of our
commitment to our spouse in marriage..
During moments of
We needwe
difficulty, to can
recognize
turn
that we
to theare first
Lord
committed to God.
Therefore, our feelings,
We recognize that
likes and dislikes, and
God is the architect of
our will are all
our marriage, and
subordinated to God's
knows how best for it
will and plan for us
to work. Mat 11:28-30
Live more fully the principles of Christian
personal relationships.
Christian marriage is just one The kinddemand
of Christian personal
The husband's of Christians
andrelationship.
wife's
living out the New personal
Testament teaching on relationships
As in any Christian Relationship:is more than
personal character and
just the
relationships will be a practice of
We ought to manifest in our daily living the fruit of
large
thepart of their
Spirit human
faithfulness in living out virtues. We
We are their
to love and serve
commitment to each
each other.
are called to
Before we are husband and wife, weunconditional
other as spouses.
To handle our feelings in the right way, and so on.
are
brother and sister in the Lord love and
service.
Bible Verse
Mt. 5:44-48
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, 45 that you may be
children of your Father in heaven. He causes
his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and
sends rain on the righteous and the
unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you,
what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only
your own people, what are you doing more
than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is
perfect..
Make the home a center of family
life
InThus
many
familiesfamilies,
should develop the opportunities to expand the
Consequently
range of tasks and services and activities in it theis
home in
relationshipOne reason
betweenparentsisand children together
parents
ways that bring
and childrenno longer full of
because Parents the
are not home
sufficiently available
is muchisweaker activities
than
to their children. that are
They are often
nopreoccupied
longer anda inaccessible,
We it
mustshould essential
be for life
. or phychologically.
physically and
center of work,
make The important
Parents need to
our home not make a decision
element is not
merely a which involve
to bring back life
education, and care
physical
so much the
in the home and
activity itself,
structure, but a
of the sick and
place where
parents
aged and
make time for it
but the quality
(e.g., family
Children are resistant
family members to direction and
meals, family
children together
recreation,indifferent
and
development of
to parents' wishes, values andrelationships
experience love,
warmth, beliefs
shared chores,
etc..).
encouragement.
Interact with Christian families.
Not only has parent-child interaction in the home been
Thus Christian families should find ways to share their
reduced, but interaction between the generations outside the
lives with one another
We alreadyhome are has
in such a network of families in
also declined
CFC
In employment, educational and recreational settings,
people are placed with their age peers and are isolated
By working
fromWith
together, people
having who are
our Family much older
Ministries or younger
(something
Some for
practical
a social life
everyone in the family), we can have morejoint
activities:
together, and activities together Lord's Day
helping one This in turn is a
The separate
another in
celebration,
major contributor
worlds of children.
practical ways goingtoon vacation
the weakening
youth, adults and of the parent-child
that
the involve
elderly draw together, family
relationship,
family of
people members
various outings, etc
especially parents'
out of the home ability to train
ages
into disconnected their children once
We know
social we do not stand alone in our desire
groupings to strengthen
they reach school
age
Christian family living..
Exercise greater control over the
family use of media and of time
We
Many
should
families
monitor
do not
anddeal
control
strongly
the flow
enough
of books,
with
Given
magazines,
also the
the intrusioncomics,
of media.
scarcity
records,
Massradio
media
of
and
time
have
television
almost
together, we access
unlimited must
programs set
into
our priorities
many
homefamilies and
control our time accordingly
The formation of young minds is given over to the
Parents and children should not get overly
information
Decide whatandis entertainment industries
allowed into the home
involved in their own respective activities that
they no longer have quality family time together.
media
We also needdampens familyinactivity
to be creative and family
developing
Decide how much
recreation. communication.
is allowed
Our purpose(e.g,
here hours
would of
beTV).
entertainment, relaxation, fun, camaraderie,
training and development for family members.
Develop Christian peer environments for young
people.
We should strive to get
our children into our Age-peer
family ministries environments are
They will develop important.
strong supportive
relationships with
their own peers Peer groups are a
powerful force in
We will have a real the lives of young
alternative to the often
people
intensely secular peer
environments that are not
Christian in orientation. We do not seek to
avoid these, but
They will be tied to redirect them
intimately into the life of
the larger body (CFC).
Become pastors of our children.
Parents The ultimate
goal of raising
must work and training
actively to our children is
train and not to make
them what we
form their want them to
children in be, but to help
Christian them fulfill
their God-given
faith and destiny
character
Bible Verse
Deut 6:20-25
20In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the
meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws
the LORD our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We
were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us
out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes
the LORD sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on
Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he
brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the
land he promised on oath to our
ancestors. 24 The LORD commanded us to obey all these
decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might
always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case
today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before
the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be
our righteousness.”.
.
What are the concrete
What is that
Our goal is to
Goal? Imbued with
Christian ideals
train them for and values
life
We should give
them our
Christian
heritage.
Deut 6:20-25
Prayer is essential
Personal
We must be determined to wrest as
thewell as
initiative
family
from school, peers and the prayer
media
Conclusion
Pope John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio: "The
future of humanity passes by way of the family"
We need to strengthen Christian family life, in
order to defend God's creation, and to renew the
face of the earth
Thank you and God Bless!
