Help for the Hurting Family
Building Strong Families in a Chaotic World
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Introduction
One of society’s main issues is the disintegrating family structure. This is evident in crime rates, orphaned and abandoned children, gangs, child trafficking, and especially the suicide rates. This has infected the church as well, with increasing divorce rates and many children leaving the faith after they have grown and left the nest. This is an urgent problem all over the world and in all cultures.
The role of the family in society and in the church is paramount to create and maintain a culture in which we are able to sustain our faith, pass the faith along, and maintain a stable moral base in the community. Strong Christian families affect the culture around them, even the nonbelievers, in a way that improves society. Ministry to the family should be one of the main activities of the local church in order to effectively minister to the community. Likewise, ministry to the family by the leaders of the family needs to be a priority in life.
There are many aspects to helping the family. We want to build strong families, and we want children to grow up to be productive, mature Christian adults who can then also pass the faith along to their progeny. We also strongly desire to prevent children from having to grow up away from their biological family; we want to prevent orphans and abandoned children.
Society today is built on an insecure foundation of secularism. There is often no belief in a personal God, no concrete principles on which to structure one’s life and morals. This has resulted in moral relativism; that is, we make the rules, and the rules constantly change according to the dominant powers in place. There is no clear sense of identity or family structure. This results in the chaos with which we are surrounded.
Families are hurting and confused. They often are unable to fulfill the purpose of a family, or they don’t have much purpose at all. This leaves the children unable to secure a firm identity and self-concept. They often don’t see the purpose of leaving home and being on their own, taking on the adult responsibilities of family and a job, or becoming the spiritual leader of the family.
We are left with a weakened and chaotic family system with no direction, one that is in need of healing. We need to come back to the basic principles: seeking God and fulfilling His purpose.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Families are the foundation of our culture and an integral part of our churches, but they face attacks from the world, the flesh, and Satan.
Larry E. Banta, M.D., an experienced psychiatrist subspecialized in child and adolescent psychiatry, explores how to build a strong family in a chaotic world. He answers questions such as:
Why is building a strong family an essential component of the Christian experience?
How can we structure and maintain a family that will withstand the pressures of life and come out strong?
Why should ministry to the family be one of the main activities of the local church?
Often, parents are unable to fulfill the purpose of a family, or do not know how to build a strong family. This leaves children unable to secure a firm identity and self-concept. They often don’t see the purpose of leaving home and being on their own, taking on the adult responsibilities of family and a job.
Learn to build the family on the strong foundation of the Word of God and take on family challenges that the church sometimes misses with the wisdom in Help for the Hurting Family.
About the Author
Larry E. Banta, M.D. is a psychiatrist with subspecialty in child and adolescent psychiatry. He works at a hospital-based clinic and also consults with children’s homes and childcare agencies. He has provided family seminars in several countries. He has more than thirty years of experience working with traumatized and displaced children and has served as a missionary in Kenya and Mexico. He lives with his wife, Evelyn, in Boise, Idaho.