Prevention in family services : approaches to family wellness / edited by David R. Mace.
- Date:
- [1983], ©1983
Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Credit: Prevention in family services : approaches to family wellness / edited by David R. Mace. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Smith [209] However, some criticisms of family programs in the churches have suggested that more should be done to provide opportunities for whole families to be together in religious activities. Indeed, there is growing interest in intergenerational programs of all kinds. Neverthe¬ less, as a matter of convenience for teaching and other purposes, families are often fragmented—children are separated from their parents, husbands from wives, young children from teenagers, grand¬ parents from grandchildren. Often the family members are not together even in public worship. The emphasis made by Dr. Margaret Sawin in the Family Cluster movement which brings all family members together as one unit, is greatly needed(see Chapter 1 3 ofthis volume). It is sad indeed for a church to offer no ministry to united families other than an occasional family night supper. HEALTHY FAMILY FUNCTIONING Family wellness as primary prevention is described in detail elsewhere in this book. Nevertheless, I want to emphasize some aspects of healthy family functioning that I see as being of special concern to churches that follow the developmental approach to families as units. Families function well (1) when the instrumental needs are met, such as the basic needs for food, shelter, clothing and health care; (2) when the expressive needs of all family members are met by each member being supported in developing a healthy sense of self-esteem and full development as a person-in-relationship who is contributing to social well-being; (3) when the family has a sense of solidarity and the experience of working together as a unit; (4) when the unit, as well as individual members, contributes to the general welfare of society. The family is not an end in itself, but it fulfills some unique purposes in meeting the needs of persons and in serving society. Churches must not make an idol of families. At the same time, they need to be careful not to exploit families in order to meet their own institutional needs. Most of the churches, it seems to me, have given so much emphasis to the expressive needs of family members that they have neglected the instrumental needs. Except for a few cases (mostly in mission work) they have taken these basic needs for granted. And not being alert to these needs in the light of the Christian faith has sometimes had the effect of leaving families to follow the cultural norms such as get all](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b18037604_0212.JP2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
