Family Discipleship

Family Discipleship

At Community Bible Church, we desire to encourage and equip heads of households to lead and train their families to worship Jesus Christ wholeheartedly and in every sphere of life. Family Discipleship consists of locally produced devotional materials to be used for family worship and training; it includes a recommended system of verse memorization and doctrinal teaching based upon the Westminster Catechism. Because all Christians belong to the family of God, Family Disciple-SHIP is available and is encouraged to be used by singles, married couples, families, old, young, and in-between.

The purpose of Family Disciple-SHIP is to know God and to know what He requires of us. In other words, we study the Bible from the vantage points of, "Who is God?" and, "What does God expect of me?" In many ways, this is a study of the doctrine of God with practical applications for every realm of our lives.

Family Discipleship

Ultimately, there are two reasons for Family Disciple-SHIP:

  1. Lifelong learning expanding as a person matures in the Lord. If our purpose is to know God and determine what He requires of us, this will take not only our entire life here on earth, but also our eternal life. It is a never ending, ongoing process. It is a process in which all of us are at different levels, maturing by His grace. Family Disciple-SHIP is cyclical to encourage and foster maturity, from the youngest to the oldest. Each “cycle” takes 3 years. As a person progresses, each cycle grows deeper. Hence, our knowledge of God and our responsibility expands as we mature.
  2. The Unity of the Body of Believers. This is extremely important! Christ prayed for unity for believers, modeling the unity of the Father and Son (see John 17). Family Disciple-SHIP promotes unity for the immediate family and the entire family of God. In Family Disciple-SHIP, everyone studies the same question each week. In Family Disciple-SHIP, everyone memorizes the same scripture each week. In Family Disciple-SHIP, everyone learns similar thoughts about God and what He requires of us.

Perhaps, you are thinking, "Wow, this sounds great! How may I participate?" You may participate on many different levels, each enhancing the other, but none essential (you will benefit from participation at any level). Here is an overview of a week of Family Disciple-SHIP:

Home Study

Whether you do this as an individual or as a family, you will benefit from the study of God's word with focused questions each day of the week. Add to that, memorizing scripture (see memory card), meditating upon the verse of the week and singing using the CBC Music Worship Song booklet, which may be added to the Family Disciple-SHIP booklet.

Wednesday Evening Family Disciple-SHIP Club!

For 10 weeks each Spring and Fall, we gather for our CBC Family Disciple-SHIP Club! This provides an opportunity to enjoy fellowship, recreation and supplemental teaching for children through 12th grade.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • “What about me? I am a college student - I’m single. Where do I fit in?” -- You are encouraged to use the daily study guide and help with the Wednesday evening club.
  • “I'm older, without young children at home. What about me?” -- You, too, are part of the church family and you are encouraged to participate in all of the mentioned opportunities.

Want more information?

For more information about Family Discipleship please contact Pastor Steve at CBCPastorSteve@gmail.com.