I suppose that a post about why Blake and I started this blog is in order. The Lord has led us to some conclusions based on things we have learned from His Word, from our head student pastor, from observing trends, from reading breakthrough studies like Soul Searching: The Religious And Spiritual Lives Of American Teenagers by Christian Smith, and from conversations we have had with student pastors from other churches. Here are a few things that we can say we feel pretty certain about:
1. That many, if not most, families have given over their God-ordained responsibility for discipling their children to the church (i.e. Pastors, and Youth Pastors).
2. That instead of teaching and equipping families to do the job that God assigned them in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, churches have assumed a role that God never intended them to have.
3. That, furthermore, many churches encourage families not to disciple their children by creating an environment that keeps families busy and separated from one another.
4. That churches have spent more time, effort, and money to grow the size of their ministries rather than disciple. This has resulted in catastrophic Biblical illiteracy, shallow believers, and weak families. (see U.S. News & World Report interview with Dr. Stephen Prothero )
5. That pastors families, suffer because pastors spend so much time at church or out visiting or socializing with other families instead of their own.
6. That most pastors prefer to measure a church by the size of the membership roll rather than the spiritual depth and health of their churches families. (see Baptist Press article entitled Evangelism With Integrity by SBC President Frank Page )
7. That most churches would rather grow their congregation and not offend anyone rather than practice church discipline. (watch this video of a resolution introduced by Tom Ascol at the SBC convention on integrity in church membership)
8. That many churches are more concerned about their facilities than they are the soundness of the preaching and teaching that comes from the Sunday school room or the pulpit.
9. That many church leaders (especially deacons) are installed more for honor than for serving the needs of the church [Deacon ( diakoneĊ - Grk.) - to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon]
10. That many churches are more concerned about non essentials of doctrine than they are fellowshipping and working with churches of other denominations or races.
Okay, so these are some of our observations, but what does that have to do with Two Institutions.Org? Well, Blake and I have this wild-eyed idea that if you pray hard, do spiritual warfare daily, speak the truth in love often enough and get it in front of the next generation of church leaders early enough, then with the Lord's kind providence maybe change will occur.
We are not denominational leaders, we are not professors, we are not even head pastors, we are just two men who want to see the Lord reform the family and the church to reflect the image that He intended. That is our message, our mission and our hope. All of our posts and efforts are focused on that end. If you disagree say so. Leave a comment! If you agree, say so please, we could use the encouragement. But more than anything else, pray that God would open your eyes and help you ask the tough questions that might lead to the reformation of your family or church.
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