Mega-Churches Focus on Fathers

Friday, Sep. 25, 2009 Posted: 12:20:46AM HKT

Two mega-churches are promoting the role of fathers in the family.

Faith Community Baptist Church has launched a series of programmes aimed at empowering members who are fathers.

"Fathers are precious representations of our heavenly Father in their households and the family institution," the website said.

"God gave special authority to earthly fathers to lead and protect their wives and children - their families. They are key figures in shaping the next generation of movers and shakers for Singapore and beyond."

In August, the 10,000-strong independent congregation held a fathering workshop facilitators training class to help fathers facilitate fathering workshops for their cell groups or as a form of outreach.

This month, the church started a monthly prayer meeting for fathers. During the meeting, which takes place on the first Saturday of each month, fathers will gather and ‘defend’ the family through prayer.

Come October, FCBC will be conducting a sexuality training class for parents. For the month of November, the church has planned a parents-teen camp.

Cornerstone Community Church will hold a Fathers For Life Seminar. The Saturday event is targeted at those who have or are planning to have children.

The speaker, Mr Jason Wong, a Director of the Rehabilitation, Protection and Residential Services Division in the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, will be sharing his experiences as a father.

Mr Wong, who is known for his passion in helping fathers fulfill their role well, will also be giving practical handles and explaining the greater implications of fathering.

Experts believe that fathers play an important role in their family that has unfortunately often been neglected or misunderstood.

According to the Centre for Fathering, fathers, be they affirming or abusive, present or absent, affectionate or impassive, leave an indelible mark on their children and subsequent generations.

Moreover, the greatest gift a father can give his child is to love the child’s mother. A strong marriage is what provides a stable and nurturing environment for developing emotionally healthy children.

Nathanael Ng
nathanael@christianpost.com