The biblical pattern for the family is the only viable alternative to the spiritually and morally bankrupt maxims of secular humanism and cultural relativism. Only on a biblical base can the family be renewed and rebuilt. Churches, therefore, must:

1. Equip parents to meet family responsibilities. The church is the God-ordained support structure of the family. But it is not the church’s role to be a surrogate parent. It is to be the teacher of parents and a source of knowledge. Proclaiming God’s Word, the Bible, as the basis for faith and practice, the church should diligently make known through preaching and Christian education, the meaning of being “in the world, but not of the world.”

2. Take the initiative in assisting engaged and young married couples to put God first, their spouses second, and themselves last. And while thoughtfully walking a fine line ‘between counselor and big brother, the church must never find itself accepting divorce as the way things are, but working to make marriage the way God intended it to be.

3. Strengthen its understanding of what constitutes “family” and offer effective, Bible-based programs designed to meet the needs of today’s families. The two-parent family may well be a minority in many congregations today. Single parents, childless couples, middle-aged couples whose children are grown, senior citizens and singles accounting for the majority membership in such congregations. Love and acceptance must be incarnated in all the church’s efforts, while maintaining biblical standards without equivocation.