Debbie Maken on Kingdom expansion
Captain Sensible writes: The below quote forms part of an interview with Debbie Maken, conducted about a year ago, with Spiraluniverse. In light of the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent remarks, it seems appropriate to highlight it here. We Christians really are shooting ourselves in the foot by ignoring the creation mandate and inventing a "gift of singleness". (And it's not like we're doing a great job of evangelising either, what with ignoring men entirely and focusing on children's playtimes and women's coffee mornings...)
"I believe that you have picked up on something about kingdom expansion that seems almost lost or foreign to this generation of Christians, namely that the kingdom increases by both siring children through holy wedlock and through regeneration of those who would normally be outside the fold. This is not an either-or proposition. Many who do missionary work, and do it effectively, are families. Siring children and raising them in the admonition and nurture of the Lord is not only required to fulfill the 'Be fruitful and multiply' command, but it is one of the most predictable ways to create kingdom members because God honors his covenants, especially the covenant of the family. Converting those outside of the Christian faith is worthwhile, but a more 'hit or miss' event. But 'disciple making' should begin at home and work itself outward.
"The major problem is that Christians are too busy rationalizing protracted singlehood by inviting singles to go down the path of inventive missionary work, when we should be telling them to use this special season of youth/vigor to get married and create children, for the window of fertility is actually quite small, but evangelism can be accomplished in virtually every station of life. The pains of these decisions to misdirect Christian singles will more acutely be felt a generation from now, when the godly seed that is needed to carry on, simple isn’t there, and certain heathen populations have outnumbered us and inflicted their value system on us."
Read the rest of the interview here, but please note, you have to click "Next Question" each time, as it is posted over several pages! Interview with Debbie Maken
"I believe that you have picked up on something about kingdom expansion that seems almost lost or foreign to this generation of Christians, namely that the kingdom increases by both siring children through holy wedlock and through regeneration of those who would normally be outside the fold. This is not an either-or proposition. Many who do missionary work, and do it effectively, are families. Siring children and raising them in the admonition and nurture of the Lord is not only required to fulfill the 'Be fruitful and multiply' command, but it is one of the most predictable ways to create kingdom members because God honors his covenants, especially the covenant of the family. Converting those outside of the Christian faith is worthwhile, but a more 'hit or miss' event. But 'disciple making' should begin at home and work itself outward.
"The major problem is that Christians are too busy rationalizing protracted singlehood by inviting singles to go down the path of inventive missionary work, when we should be telling them to use this special season of youth/vigor to get married and create children, for the window of fertility is actually quite small, but evangelism can be accomplished in virtually every station of life. The pains of these decisions to misdirect Christian singles will more acutely be felt a generation from now, when the godly seed that is needed to carry on, simple isn’t there, and certain heathen populations have outnumbered us and inflicted their value system on us."
Read the rest of the interview here, but please note, you have to click "Next Question" each time, as it is posted over several pages! Interview with Debbie Maken
posted by Captain Sensible at 3:05 AM
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