A Weed in the Church

A WEED IN THE CHURCH
BY SCOTT T. BROWN

“Because the church has embraced this age-segregated philosophy, we have created groups for everyone, but community for no one; meetings for all, but discipleship for few. Age segregation has replaced the older mentoring the younger. Church programs have displaced family discipleship.”
--Scott T. Brown
“A Weed In The Church”


In the book “A Weed In The Church”, author Scott Brown has struck a nerve, and many churches are screaming in pain. The reason? Youth programs are simply not working. The scary part of the mix: instead of churches seeking the solutions from the Scriptures, many in church leadership are spending time and effort to ‘keep’ the failing programs functioning for financial, employment, or prideful reasons.

Meanwhile, the loss of Christian youth--and their families--continues. Brown believes that the time has come to realize that the age-segregation and ‘splitting up’ of families in the church setting needs to end, and the home needs to take its rightful place in the biblical teaching and training role. His book centers upon what God has already said in the Scriptures about the family as HE set it down, not as how society ‘dictates’ to the church the various and sundry social definitions of what a family should be.

“A Weed In The Church” (2010, 286 pages, The National Center for Family-Integrated Churches Publications) is a controversial work to say the least. It is NOT for the ‘faint’ of heart in church leadership, but for those who have seen the lack of movement in the ‘old’ model of Sunday School as it exists today, and want to see a vibrant, God-blessed change and revival in their churches. Chapters include “Interpreting Scripture”, “The Family-Centered Nature of Youth Discipleship”, and “Results of Neglecting Youth Discipleship”.

To keep on doing the same old thing when the times change about you--and a new thing is called for to meet these challenges--is the height of folly. Brown’s work is not for the timid, but for those churches--and Pastors--who want to see the families in their congregations grow stronger, instead of weaker. It is an excellent addition to one’s library.

Mike Ramey is a Minister, Reviewer and Syndicated Columnist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. On Line Reviews brings current and lesser-known titles to public light in the quest to re-kindle a love for reading in a sea of modern technology.


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Lift up Christ and lay the sinner low. --C. H. Spurgeon