Terry School, SBTC promote new family ministry resources during luncheon at Southwestern Seminary

FORT WORTH, Texas — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention hosted a Family Ministry Luncheon on campus on Sept. 23, promoting a new opportunity for families and churches to disciple the younger generations and prepare them for a lifetime of serving the Lord.

“The Terry School has a huge Family Ministry footprint among the seminaries in the SBC and around the nation,” said Chris Shirley, dean of the Terry School of Educational Ministries, pointing out the ministries discussed during the luncheon hold connections with the Terry School and its faculty. “We have degree programs in family ministry in all our degree programs, including a PhD in Family and Generational Studies. In addition, we have four faculty members who are published authors in the family ministry field and a multitude of alumni who are leading the church in family ministry through the local church and parachurch ministries.”

Richard Ross, senior professor of student ministry, has had a hand in growing Southwestern’s impact in that realm of ministry and served as the keynote speaker at the luncheon.

He pointed out the constant issue youth leaders and parents face of teenagers leaving the church after they graduate, and even before that as a young teen. Ross said Barna Group studies show that only about 10 percent of church teenagers have a resilient faith—one that believes in Jesus for salvation, the validity of the Bible, and the importance of the local church—that will last a lifetime.

Although there are still encouraging cases of teens serving the Lord in significant ways and even revivals happening on college campuses, Ross said, “If there would be a possibility that we could raise that number higher, we would be happy. … If you take averages, if you take the landscape, there is nothing going on right now that I would say is really moving that needle in terms of high school graduates that are going to walk in faith the rest of their lives.”

Ross spent years in church youth ministries before becoming the youth ministry consultant for Lifeway and then joining the faculty of Southwestern in 2000. But in recent months, Ross has partnered with others to create a ministry for families and churches, but particularly for fathers, to intentionally disciple youth starting at the age of 13.

“I really do feel that all of my adult life in ministry has been in preparation for what I’m about to share with you in the next few moments,” Ross said during the luncheon.

Along with the issue of teens leaving the church, Ross said those students often seem to be disconnected from their congregation and are not ready for adulthood upon graduation, while fathers are not guided into spiritual leadership roles. With those concerns in mind, Ross said he and others have created a new ministry called Aion Path, which is a three-year program for teens and their fathers.

“The most critical predictor of children maintaining their faith into adulthood is the relationship with their parents, but especially their father,” Ross explained. “Churches should encourage fathers to be spiritual directors in their homes, offering resources and training to help them nurture their children’s faith as they walk along the road.”

Ross explained that in the past few years, a California businessman named Matt Hanson sold his business and, with his new freedom, gathered together family ministry leaders, including several from Southwestern, such as Ross, adjunct Jonathan Williams, and Shirley, and various men’s and student ministries leaders from around the nation.

Ross said these leaders gathered to look for “a way to give teenagers a deep and resilient faith that lasts a lifetime, a way to give teenagers rich relationships with more members of the congregation, a way to prepare teenagers to be competent, fully functioning adults, a way to mobilize fathers to warmly connect with their sons and daughters and to spiritually invest in them.”

From those meetings came a new ministry called Aion Path, named after a Greek word that refers to “a moment in time that influences all time.” The program is a three-year journey that starts at the age of 13 and involves a male or female student being discipled and trained by their father and other mentor figures.

The first year focuses on building the relationship with the father, the second further strengthens that relationship but with deeper discipling, followed by a year of training the student to lead and serve others. Throughout the three years, the students are learning skills that will prepare them for adulthood.

“In a way, we’re going to be discipling teenagers and dads at the same time,” Ross said, explaining that the program provides the tools the father needs to lead their students through videos that encourage discussions. But the program is also done in close conjunction with their local church and has the student choose three other mentors or guides who will also help them through the three years.

At its completion, Ross said churches should consider recognizing the teen and his or her father and guides as a way to encourage them and the rest of the church congregation as they witness the discipleship happening in those homes.

Ross said about 100 fathers are currently going through the program and providing feedback as they make final adjustments in preparation for making it fully available for anyone.

“I think we’re about to see some of the greatest days we have seen in youth ministry,” Ross said.

Jeff Lynn, senior strategist for church health and leadership at the SBTC, said the state convention is committed to helping churches get involved in utilizing the Aion Path for their congregations.

“I’m going to do my best to disseminate this to all of our churches,” Lynn said. “… I’m excited about what God’s going to do in this and through this, because this is my passion to reach, raise, and release men to take their rightful place as the spiritual leaders in their homes. And so again, this is an answer to prayer.”

Those interested in more information can visit the Aion Path website here.

Karen Kennemur, professor of children’s ministry who also serves in the area of children and family ministries with SBTC, helped organize the event and handed out copies of a recent book she co-edited, Children & Salvation: Biblical, Theological, and Practical Considerations.

Southwesterners Dallas and Martha Harvey also introduced a new ministry resource for families with children called WITH (Worship in the Home) Kits during the luncheon.