HEALTHY FAMILIES FOR ETERNITY
FM_Planbook%202016-eng
FM_Planbook%202016-eng
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Solomon, through inspiration, offers a<br />
collection of wise sayings for people interested<br />
in living a life without regrets and unnecessary<br />
pain. He counsels: “Hear, my son, your father’s<br />
instruction, and forsake not your mother’s<br />
teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your<br />
head and pendants for your neck. My son, if<br />
sinners entice you, do not consent.” Proverbs 1:8-<br />
10 (ESV)<br />
Parents are responsible for the guidance and<br />
moral instruction of their children, leading to<br />
a prodigious quality of life. When Solomon<br />
admonishes the disciple to hear, he is suggesting<br />
the need for taking heed to the counsel being<br />
given. Not only is the father to be listened to—<br />
but also the mother—whose teaching is from her<br />
faithfulness to the Word of God.<br />
The theme for this year is Healthy Families<br />
for Eternity. This multifaceted notion can only<br />
become effective in the families of the church, as<br />
we train our children to live based on the teachings<br />
that God has provided since the beginning of<br />
time. Only by choosing to live faithfully will<br />
we be able to enjoy the kind of relational health<br />
that honors God, and at once prepares us for the<br />
coming of Jesus Christ.<br />
Requisite for parents to be most influential in<br />
the relational and spiritual health of their children<br />
is that they enjoy a relatively healthy marriage.<br />
Should parents not be married to each other,<br />
Preface<br />
having a robust and working relationship with the<br />
person they are co-parenting with, and a viable<br />
and intimate relationship with God are essentials<br />
for creating a place for healthy and dynamic<br />
discipleship to germinate.<br />
Referencing the kind of atmosphere that makes<br />
for healthy relationships within the home and<br />
prepares a family for the coming of Jesus Christ,<br />
Ellen White states in The Adventist Home: “The<br />
sweetest type of heaven is a home where the Spirit<br />
of the Lord presides. If the will of God is fulfilled,<br />
the husband and wife will respect each other and<br />
cultivate love and confidence”. (Chapter 1, p. 15).<br />
It is our sincere desire that the families in our<br />
churches around the world will become centers<br />
of discipleship and hope. Where the fruit of<br />
the Spirit is the practice of each day—love, joy,<br />
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,<br />
gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23a);<br />
as we trust God to keep us ready until the day He<br />
comes for us.<br />
For stronger and healthier families,<br />
Willie and Elaine Oliver, Directors<br />
Department of Family Ministries<br />
General Conference of<br />
Seventh-day Adventists<br />
World Headquarters<br />
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA<br />
family.adventist.org<br />
<strong>HEALTHY</strong> <strong>FAMILIES</strong> <strong>FOR</strong> <strong>ETERNITY</strong> REACH THE WORLD<br />
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