After almost three years of study, the SBC Council on Family Life will present a standard to which they are encouraging every Southern Baptist family to aspire. The document, titled The Seven Pillars of a Kingdom Family begins by calling upon families to "glorify God by surrendering every area of life to Him." It culminates with a call for each of us to share our faith within our family, then "join with them and others in specific activities which cultivate a passion for fulfilling the Great Commission."
At the Kingdom Family Rally which will be hosted by the SBC Pastor's Conference on Monday evening prior to the annual meeting of the SBC, participants will be introduced to the "Seven Pillars" by the use of media, exciting messages and testimonies, and endorsements by individuals internationally known for their emphasis on the family. Stirring presentations will center on each of the Seven Pillars and a call for Southern Baptists to embrace them. The document reads as follows:
Seven Pillars of a Kingdom Family
I am a member of God's Kingdom Family. I have by faith repented of my sin, believed on Christ as my Lord and Savior, and received His gift of forgiveness and eternal life. By the miracle of God's grace, I am both a citizen of His Kingdom and a member of His family, His subject and His child, His bondslave and a joint-heir with Him, His battle-ready soldier and His bride. It is now my desire to glorify the Lord by giving my own earthly family relationships the interest and care they so richly deserve. With the balance of my life and relying on the leadership of God's Spirit, I will commit to God's plan for my life and family by:
Honoring God's Authority
God, as Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all, holds ultimate authority over His creation. By establishing the family, God has provided a unique setting in which each individual should come to properly understand and respect authority. I will glorify God by surrendering every area of my life to Him and by offering Godly respect in all my earthly relationships, starting in my family.
Respecting Human Life
Human life is a gift from God and is of transcendent worth. It is to be treasured, protected, encouraged, and loved from the moment of conception until the moment of death. I know that each member of my family must ultimately give a personal account to God, and forgiveness of sin and eternal life in heaven are His gift to those who by faith repent of sin and believe in Christ. I will honor God by expressing self-sacrificial love to each of my family members throughout the entirety of their lives.
Exercising Moral Purity
God has established the family as His first institution on earth. It is worthy of my most noble aspirations and commitments, including my commitment to moral purity, marital fidelity, and Christ-like love for each family member. Because marriage is a picture of Christ's faithfulness to His Bride, the Church, and because the family is a picture of the Father's faithfulness to His children, I will honor the Lord by being faithful and pure.
Serving My Church
The Church is the Bride of Christ, comprised of all the redeemed who will, one day, be taken to heaven by Him. By exalting Christ, resting on the sufficiency of His Word and giving place to the ministry of the Spirit, the local church becomes the means by which spiritual growth is promoted and the ministry of Christ is brought to my family, my community, and to the world. I will support and will encourage my family to support our local church with faithful attendance, diligent service, generous and God honoring giving, and loving cooperation.
Using Time Wisely
Time is a resource given to each person by God. My use of it, especially in matters related to my family, reflects my esteem for God. One day, I will give an account to Him for how I have spent the time He entrusted to me. As I order my life in concert with His will, I will have sufficient time for personal growth through prayer, for the study of God's Word, and for fulfilling every God-given responsibility related to my family.
Practicing Biblical Stewardship
God has provided material resources so that I may glorify Him through the exercise of faithful stewardship over them. I will be held accountable for this stewardship. Therefore, I will diligently seek my Master's best interests in the way I earn money, expend it for life's needs, use it to touch the lives of others, and give it for the support of His work through my local church.
Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
The greatest and most noble purpose in life is to glorify the Lord through the fulfillment of His Great Commission. I will glorify the Lord by sharing my faith with my family, and by joining with them and others in specific activities which cultivate a passion for fulfilling the Great Commission.
SBC pastors will be especially encouraged to utilize the Seven Pillars in their pre-marital counseling, holding them up as a standard for their church to pursue. This coming fall, three Kingdom Family Conferences will be held across the nation with special invitations for pastor's and wives. These conferences, sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources, will also feature times of personal, spiritual refreshing and recommitment for a pastor and his wife. LifeWay has officially agreed to carry forward the Kingdom Family movement as part of the convention-wide emphasis on Empowering Kingdom Growth. The Kingdom Family movement will utilize the concerted efforts of all our SBC entities to raise up biblical standards for the home, showing how the home is part of God's plan for fulfilling the Great Commission.
Pastors attending the conferences will also be shown how their churches can utilize the Seven Pillars as an effective tool for virtually eliminating divorces in the future, healing and strengthening existing marriages and becoming lighthouses for those whose families have already suffered the heartaches associated with separation and divorce.
Every pastor and SBC family is encouraged to make this year's convention in Phoenix a "must attend" event. Special arrangements have been made to accommodate attendance and participation in all events, including the Kingdom Family Rally on Monday evening, June, 16, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
