Why Neon Family Church believes that the Family is important
“Family: A nation is strong only to the extent that its families are strong. Nation-building, a core intention of the Church, can only be achieved when we build strong families. History shows how societies break down when families break down. Therefore, at Neon Family Church, we place ‘Family’ at the center of all we do. Our families will reflect the light in this dark world, bearing the name of Jesus, the Light of the World.
Our desire at NFC is to reflect the love, oneness, reverence, submission, and devotion enjoyed by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God delights in this perfect Triune Unity, and He also delights in the family, which is His own idea. It is within the family environment that individuals develop physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Our values and beliefs regarding ‘divorce, marriage, children, and the elderly,’ which are interrelated to family, are briefly outlined below.
Divorce: When asked if it was lawful to divorce for any cause, Jesus replied: ‘Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate’ (Matthew 19:4-6, NIV). God never intended divorce when He established the institution of marriage. ‘For I hate divorce!’ says the LORD, the God of Israel. ‘To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. ‘So, guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife’ (Malachi 2:16, NLT). Our principle is against divorce, with exceptions weighed by the Church’s elders based on God’s words.
Children: The institution of marriage is between a man and a woman, enabling the fulfillment of God’s blessing, ‘be fruitful and multiply.’ The Bible says, ‘Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.’ They are our heritage, our blessing, and our responsibility. We are stewards of this gift from the Lord. We should ensure that the desire of our Lord Jesus is fulfilled when He said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ We are commanded in Deuteronomy 11:18-20 to teach our children the words of the Lord, equipping them to resist temptation. We have the moral responsibility to raise children who are a delight to God and society. At Neon Family Church, we emphasize parents raising morally upright children. The Church comes alongside to impart Biblical truths, principles, and values, creating an environment to strengthen the roots of children in God’s word. We empower the next generation—our children—to advance the kingdom of God.
Elderly: ‘Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old,’ says Job 12:12, emphasizing the value of learning from our elderly members. They have much to impart to the family. As a Church, we have the privilege to learn and gain wisdom from their experience, serve them, and interact with them to ensure they are not isolated. Psalm 92:14 says, ‘They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green.’ At Neon Family Church, we honor the elderly for the value they add to the body of Christ. In 1 Timothy 5:1-2, Paul commands us to encourage older men as we would a father and treat older women as we would a mother, showing them due respect and care. Each has a role to play in building the family.”
