I noticed the movie Divided popping up all over the place this
past week. It is free online, and many people I know were passing it
around and recommending it. So last night, I took some time to see what
it is all about.
First, the movie is a platform to advocate
family integrated churches. It was produced by the National Center for
Family Integrated Churches. So you know going in that there is no
neutrality on the topic. They are arguing for family integration, and
this movie presents their case. That is neither good nor bad, but it
something worth noting when you sit down to watch the movie.
If you are not familiar with family
integrated churches, let me give you a short primer. Over the last
decade or more, there has been a mass exodus of youth from local church
bodies. The statistics are overwhelming. Most youth, by the time they've
reached middle school or high school, have mentally checked out. When
they reach college age, they check out all together and do not return.
In looking at the problem, some pastors and church leaders began
targeting the modern idea of youth groups as the culprit. According to
the family integrated movement, youth groups are non-biblical and a main
cause of children leaving. They assert that parents have abdicated
their responsibilities to teach their children biblical principles and
handed it over to youth pastors and leaders. In an effort to restore
parental authority, the movement advocates that churches cease age
segregating classes (i.e. Sunday school) and move back to doing church
as family units. Keep Reading...
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