The rapid social changes in modern Korea and the nuclearization of the family has thrust the country into serious family problems. Amid the reality of the crisis, national, social, and religious efforts are tirelessly being undertaken to restore the home. Home ministries centered in large churches conduct short programs that are now enjoying a sort of popular boom. These programs must not stop at being just simple events or biased education, but must communicate to the entire family and be performed in a concrete manner. The typical family has a certain life cycle, according to Carter and McGoldrick's family life cycle theory, and the present study was carried out based on this premise and seeks thereby to construct family ministry programs.
So this paper first establishes the general definition and the theological definition of the home, then investigates and analyzes the status of home ministries currently operated by the churches, then stresses on the need for such programs based on family life cycle theory.
This study is centered on available literature, and the statuses of the leading churches were ascertained by selecting ten and surveying them by internet and by phone. The survey of 10 programs showed that the programs being conducted at the churches mostly are wedding prep, parenting classes, mothering classes, and fathering classes. These program are all conducted in a similar way, i.e., people were grouped together based on their common age. This necessitates a great amount of manpower, and so they are centered around large churches. The researcher thus proposes a new alternative program based on the six steps of the family life cycle theory.
It proposes a program combining Scripture and family life cycle that the whole family can participate in together. The program is new in that the whole family including children, parents, and even aging parents are instructed together.
In addition, one or several families can participate in the program without restrictions, with the added advantage that both small churches has large churches can conduct them. With this study, it is hoped that the family, the church and the country will benefit.