Spreading Hope: The Vital Role of Faith Communities in Family Support

The SNU adult education blog is thrilled to welcome Dr. Delilah Joiner Martin, Program Director of the Family Studies & Gerontology program, as our guest blogger this week. We hope you enjoy her insights about faith communities and their impact on every member of the family, regardless of age. 

Hello Faith Community! 

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" - 1 Corinthians 6:10

"Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?" - 1 Corinthians 3:16

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." - Matthew 18:20

I’m passionate about the idea that when faith communities are reflecting their best as Salt and Light in this world, it means that you and I are individually and collectively at our best or at least owning our choice to become better in loving one another as Jesus loves us because we are in fact the faith community, you and I, we are the heartbeat of every faith community. Imperfectly perfect, messily authentic, stumbling determinedly, surrendering all in a pursuit to know Jesus so that we can become more like Him in all that was known, is known, and yet to be known, to be a Holy reflection of Him in this world. What does this really mean in what I believe and the daily choices I make to know Him intentionally, while also coming to understand where I personally begin and end in all things?

1.     Seeking to know Him. I have found that through a posture of seeking Him through daily scripture, prayer, devotionals, readings, conversations, podcasts, videos, and listening, there is a greater opportunity to know Him. One personal goal is to complete a prayer walk daily to listen, reflect, praise, petition on behalf of others, and thank Him. It is also a healthy life choice that helps with mind, body, and soul throughout the day. 
2.   Commit and ultimately choose to surrender the outcome of everything to His will. His will over my will in every moment, breath, thought, opportunity, decision, action, result, outcome, and perspective. I have preferences, strong desires, and may plead for a particular outcome, but at the end of me and my will, it is always in complete trust that I want to surrender the outcome to His will over mine.
3.   Accept that we are collectively the faith community.  This means every day, all day long, whenever we come together with other people, we are engaging with one another as the body of Christ, as a faith community.  We are actively in relationships with individuals of all ages, caring for everyone, every family member across the whole lifespan from conception to the very end of life, and all the very real-life moments in between impacting people in crisis, laughter, disappointment, sorrow, and joy. We are clearly called to a life of service within the context of helping one another and leading others. How is that reflected in a faith community, within the context of families, work, neighbors, mothers, fathers, infants, children, teens, and adults of all ages within scheduled and unscheduled encounters? We can find glimpses of what this means for us as the faith community in scripture when we are encouraged to:

Be in relationship by means of fellowship and community (1 John 1:17) 

Love one another (John 13:34-35) 

Love and honor (Romans 12:10) 

Respect elders and others (1 Timothy 5:1-2)

Provide hospitality (1 Peter 4:9)

Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)

Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

Be responsible in providing for relatives (1 Timothy 5:8) 

Offer support, share resources, provide for needs (Acts 2:42-47) 

Contribute to meeting the needs of others (Romans 12:13) 

Do good deeds, be generous, and share (1 Timothy 6:17-19) 

Help carry burdens (Galatians 6:2)

Be understanding and empathetic (Romans 12:15) 

Be authentic and pray (James 5:16) 

Be kind (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

In the Bachelor of Science in Family Studies and Gerontology (FSG) program, learners prepare for various professional endeavors related to what is commonly known as the helping professions. These learners are often in the process of becoming the difference makers in their world, the world, which is our world. Due to their course of study, they gain a deeper understanding of all populations across the entire human lifespan, within the context of family, from conception through the end of life. They are better equipped to serve others in ways that make a difference, interacting with great care and understanding with individuals facing life challenges of all kinds at all ages. They can help by providing valuable information, offering a specific service, or connecting individuals with access to much-needed assistance.

The FSG graduate represents hope in circumstances that can often seem hopeless. They are problem solvers and overcomers in the face of great challenges. They are undaunted by present concerning realities. In relationships, they affirm one another, affirm their faith, pray, love, honor, respect, share, encourage, work on behalf of others, review facts, assess the known and unknown, collaborate, set a course, and provide. In a faith community, the equipping of the FSG graduate, simply from the design of this specific academic pursuit, enables the natural qualities of being Salt and Light within the faith community to shine even more brightly through a position of servant leadership.  

If you believe that you are called to help others and the FSG program could be the academic stepping stone for your future, please do not delay and make that call to enroll today. It is time. Equipping for the purpose of your very existence awaits.