Family Ministry

In our explorations, we have found some Family ministry resources that might be useful in your home and family!

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Click here for Photos from Church Camp 2018!

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Cgi Promotes “Family Night”

Quoted from Cgi Systematic Theology Project – Section 26- “The Christian Family”:

The Bible’s primary admonition is that parents show deep love and manifest real affection toward their progeny, just as God does for us. This love will take many forms: protection from harm, instruction, encouragement, respect, participation in family activities, and balanced correction when necessary. The need for parents to express their love by spending much time with their children in both work and play is especially stressed by the church. Likewise, great emphasis is placed upon the need for parents and children to communicate with one another, and to show genuine interest in each other by active listening. To this end the church encourages its members to set aside at least one day a week for a “family night” of planned activities and recreation together.

Click Here for the Family Night Song

Quoted From Plain Truth Magazine (Aug-Sept 1977) – “Bring Back the Family“:

Have a Weekly Family Night

Pick one night of the week when the whole family can be together. Plan something special. For openers, mom might like to serve a different and interesting ethnic dish. You might let the children set up the games. Or perhaps go out together to a Disney movie.
What about churning up some old-fashioned, homemade ice cream? Invite your children’s friends to the occasion once in a while. These are just some ideas to get you started. Once you get the ball rolling, you won’t have enough nights to put all your ideas into effect. The main thing is learning to do things together as a family.
Family night has recently become a regular practice for most members of the Church of God. I’d like you to read a few letters about how some of them observe their family nights.
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From Aurora, Colorado: “Thank you, thank you, and thank you— a hundred timesover — for ‘instituting’ a family night! This world is so fast moving it takes its toll on all of us until there is no time left for family. We don’t have a big family yet, only a five-month-old son, but since family night began three weeks ago, we truly look forward to that special night each week when we can do things we might not do or enjoy if we didn’t actually have such a night.”
From Cincinnati, Ohio: “We are going to hold our family gathering this week in the park. We enjoy cooking out, so we will cook and eat in the park. This will also allow us to enjoy the beauty of the park in the spring.”

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The Church of God believes that God is building a family and made us in His image and likeness (Gen 1: 26-27) as a part of that family. Beginning with the immediate household, the CGI Toronto Family Ministry’s purpose is to strengthen family members to lead more Spirit led lives committed to the work of God. This principle is then applied to the greater community of faith.

In the household of faith, God has instructed:

that we do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith (Gal 6:10)
that husbands love and wives respect their partners (Eph 5:33)
that parents teach their children to love God (Deut. 6: 4-9; Joshua 24:15).

The CGI Toronto Family Ministry’s aim is to support the members of the congregation to build a community of believers, beginning with each household. The Family Ministry seeks to strengthen, inspire and bring healing to the household of faith through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We also aim to help families prepare today for the soon coming Kingdom of God through working with persons in the church, and thereby impacting the church as the wider family of God and community of believers.

In our post modern world where the traditional family is challenged on every side, the Christian family dynamic involves the development of strong Godly relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, the married and the unmarried, and the old and the young. The Family Ministry is supportive of members with non CGI attending spouses and other family members and encourages them to participate in all programs offered by the Family Ministry.

The Family Ministry programs include:

Seminars and Retreat
Premarital Guidance: Why Wait? Series
Marriage seminars to share how to prepare for and strengthen
Marriage Retreat (for couples only)
Parent Education: Practical Skills for imparting religious instruction to Hospitality in the family of God (continuing series )
Financial Management (continuing series )

Activities:

Annual family dinner
Family dance
Family Camp out weekends

These programs and activities are carried out in collaboration with the other ministries in the church. We are always in need of volunteers who share our vision and would like to contribute in this vital ministry.

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Cgi Toronto write-up on Family Ministry Activity

by Sis. Stephanie, Jun. 8, 2012

On Sabbath afternoon of May 19, the Family Ministry introduced married couples and single adults to Gary Chapman’s “The 5 Love Languages” by which he teaches how partners communicate love to each other. Your primary love language is that form of communication by which you most easily “hear” and receive love.

The 5 love languages are:

Words of Affirmation – verbally approving or affirming your spouse
Acts of Service – doing something for your spouse that you know they would like for you to do
Receiving Gifts – as an expression of love, emphasizing the thoughtfulness and effort behind the gift
Quality Time – giving your spouse your undivided attention
Physical Touch – loving touches including hugs, pats on the back, holding hands

Communicating to your spouse in their primary love language will fill “their emotional love” tank and inspire them to reciprocate that love.

God also communicated His love thus: He gave us a “gift” by which also he “touched” our sinful lives and affirmed us in words as children of God. This was an “act of service;” we couldn’t do for ourselves, so we need to reflect on this in “daily devotion and worship.”

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Some nifty Graphics

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