Wallace begins by offering anecdotes to demonstrate that the current model is badly broken. Normally anecdotal arguments are not very effective, but the anecdotes he offers are so paradigmatic of American church life that most readers will recognise and identify strongly with them. He then suggests a return to the historical (pre-19th century) alternative - children should be discipled by their fathers with their mothers assisting. Contra conventional wisdom, Wallace suggests that quantity time is just as important as quality time. Teachable moments can occur any time, and it makes sense to provide the opportunity for them to occur. He also suggests that integrated families participating in ministry together are a powerfully attractive in outreach.
Two problems have to be overcome to move in this direction: a lack of parental confidence and ability to disciple, and the lack of opportunity due to crowded schedules (including crowded church activity schedules). Wallace suggests (in broad strokes) measures to overcome both of those.
Finally, he gives a chapter discussing the proper way to move your church in this direction. He describes how a layman should appeal to the church leadership and vice versa how the leadership should appeal to the laity in order to minimise the friction inherent in change.
My only frustration is that the book is short on specifics about how to accomplish this change. This is due, in part, to Wallace's recognition that there are many different ways to go about transforming ministry. It would have been nice three or four complete case studies describing different types of churches that have successfully moved to an age integrated model.
There are many excellent ideas, and interesting and helpful suggestions, in this guide. Wallace seeks to develop relationships that build people, whatever their status: for example, children should be an integrated part of ministry, rather than someone to just entertain until they can grow up and contribute.
The ideas presented in this book are largely sociological, rather than theological; and are based on anecdotal rather than systematic interpretation of scripture (a frequent too malaise of popular books!). Wallace tends to simply state premises as facts (e.g., "the primary means of evangelism in the early church was in the household"), without giving a scriptural defence of their truth.
Wallace emphasizes the idea that the church is the collection of people who believe in Jesus Christ, wherever we are, rather than a building -- a very correct idea. This is valuable if considered as a contribution on one topic within a balanced Christian worldview. The risk I fear is our trend to make such ideas The Big Thing, and give them much more of a place of centrality, much more prominence, than they deserve. I fear that Wallace pushes the pendulum too far on this in two ways:* He focuses so much on household relationships that he downplays corporate worship (and ignores many other aspects of Christian living). Certainly the New Testament vision of the church is its people joined through the Holy Spirit, not a set of buildings; but at the same time, it emphasises word and sacrament of the joint covenant people in a way that Wallace barely acknowledges. (See D. A. Carson et al, "Worship by the Book", and Gordon Fee, "Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God" for excellent discussions of corporate worship and the importance of the unity of the covenant people).* Wallace overplays the analogy of family and church: while there is a relationship (pun intended?) in the Bible, there is also a distinction; and to be a father is not to be a priest among the people of the new covenant any more than it was in the old.
I commend this book to the reader to prayerfully consider Wallace's ideas, to test each one of them -- is there a solid scriptural backing for it? does it apply an analogy reasonably or to an extreme? -- and select a set of the excellent ones to put into practice. By all means let our churches synergistically build up our households and use the household's strength to build up the church, rather than promote programmes that pull us apart.
Family-based church ministry is far more than a change in programming to accommodate mom, dad and the kids. Family-based church ministry also includes everyone in the church: singles, single-parent families, youth, elderly, etc. Why? Because we are all members of God's household and church life should mirror this truth. Family-based church ministry is simply a multi-generational vision that is focused on heart-level relationships that are nurtured in everyday life. In a family-based church ministry, relationships are upheld as the primary tool for ministry, not programs. "Uniting Church and Home" is a blueprint for rebuilding church community around these principles. This resource will show how to transform your households into a family-based church ministry.