Oikos exists to strengthen spiritual, biological and adoptive families.  Whether led by single parents or by dual parents, families are God’s primary means for inculcating values, directing giftings and nurturing faith.

The family integrated focus is a rebellion and revolution against the trends of culture.

In today’s world, families are being separated by an ever growing range of activities; youth sports, child care, schooling, high pressure employment, single individual recreational activities, work travel, etc.  While these activities are not intrinsically bad, a combination of them stifles family time.  There are few, if any, times for the family to come together to express their faith.  Even within the traditional American church structure, there are seldom opportunities for children to see parents living an expression of their faith in the public arena.

The Bible clearly teaches that parents have the primary responsibility for teaching children morals, ethics, the history of faith, the faithfulness of God and spiritual disciplines.

Consider Deuteronomy 4:9-10; 6:1-4 and 11:19-21:

• Deut. 9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.10 Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”
• Deut. 6:1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.
• Deut. 11:19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

The Scriptures place the burden for multigenerational faithfulness on the shoulders of faithful parents who share their life of faith intimately with their children.  When do we have opportunities to do this?  Should not the corporate meetings at a church lead the way?