The Family / Children of God

The Heritage and Home Life of Our Children

ISSUED BY WORLD SERVICES ON THE COLLECTIVE BEHALF OF THE

FELLOWSHIP OF INDEPENDENT MISSIONARY COMMUNITIES

COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE FAMILY

April 1992

                We believe that the children in our communities receive superior care and parenting in all areas when compared to society at large: educationally, emotionally, health-wise, religiously,  morally, socially, recreationally, mentally, vocationally and in every other way. We offer the following overview and summary of our lifestyle, beliefs, attitudes and home life practices in defence of this position.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

A. Children Are a Gift from God        1

B. Extensive and Intensive Parent Care,

           Guidance and Education          2

C. Good Diet, Health and Hygiene    4

D. Child-safe Environment6

E. Excellent Physical Care and Supervision

           for All Children          8

F. Discipline and Behaviour               9

G. Spiritual Training and Development            9

H. Mental and Emotional Care and Development           10

I. Positive Social Training and Attitude

           Development             11

J. Education          14

K. Conclusion       16

A. CHILDREN ARE A GIFT FROM GOD

1. Our profound respect for children and attending to their proper care and training is not only an integral part of our religious belief and practice, but is central to our communal existence.

                In addition to our goal of preaching the Gospel to the world, one major focus of our present-day communal life is to properly care for our families and our precious children.  Our initial membership of mostly young, idealistic singles has changed greatly over the years, matured and married.  Our population has shifted from being mostly singles, to mostly families with children.  Presently many of our members are teenagers and children born in the Family, therefore much of our present-day community life, organisation, rules and standards are dedicated to providing our families and their children with excellent environments, proper care, and quality training.

2. Our respect for life and our spiritual view of the creation of children helps create positive attitudes toward and sincere respect in our communities for our children.

                The children raised in our fellowships have natural, bubbling, outgoing personalities, laughing and smiling easily, reflecting the warmth, stability and security of the environment they live in.  Life in one of our communities is characterised by a deeply felt and spiritually founded respect for children.  One fundamental difference between our attitude toward children and that of many people in society as a whole is that we consider children to be actual blessings and gifts from God, and believe that God takes a very active and personal role and interest in each soul He creates.  We consider a child to be principally and initially a spiritual entity created by God Himself.  God then unites this spirit with the physical body of the forming child to become a totally new and eternal living soul, the combination of both body and spirit. A child, therefore, is an act of creation, and not an "accident" or just the result of a sex act. (See Genesis 2:7; Psalms 139:13-16.)

3. The social, economic, cultural, or psychological needs or justifications for seeking abortions, found in society at large, are absent in our communities.

                Before becoming a part of our very pro-life Christian communal family, some of our female members experienced the soul-saddening, emotionally difficult experience of having an abortion.  The concerns of raising a child in this world were more than they or those close to them could bear, and it seemed the "right" thing to do, given their circumstances.  Examining current abortion statistics, the social conditions and climate of encouragement for new mothers to give birth obviously is not improving in society.  We do not want to presume to judge all individuals who are caught in this dilemma, but we are thankful that in our communities, the oppressive conditions that intimidate or drive women to make such difficult choices as deciding whether to let a child enter life or not, are absent.

                We sincerely wish that all women could enjoy the security and support from those around them that women in our communities enjoy as a daily fact of life.  We feel the rising tide of abortions is a sad indication in society of a growing lack of support and real assistance to child-bearing women of all ages.  People certainly must be overburdened, preoccupied and worried to the point that they fear they cannot bear the added responsibility of a baby.  There are even signs that the level of acceptance and tolerance of children in society is so frail that it is commonplace to see or hear of new and highly aggressive birth control programs, sterilisations, and movements to put limits on childbirth and allow abortion even up to the final term of pregnancy.  Hence, in the face of this hostile climate to childbirth, we consider it a very positive indicator of the quality of life in our homes that women in our group do not experience the need to terminate an "unwanted" pregnancy, as all babies in our communities are wanted and all are received with gratitude to God.

                [Note: A public record of this fact and an expression of our respect for the rights and feelings of both mother and child can be seen and heard in the song "Mother Let Me Live," found on our "S.O.S." music video; and audio cassettes "Across the Sky" and "New Worlds to Conquer."]

B. EXTENSIVE AND INTENSIVE PARENT CARE, GUIDANCE AND EDUCATION

1. The birth of a child to a community member is a very welcome event, and our children are not exposed to the great insecurity and threatening idea that there is something "wrong" with having children.

                Our children grow up being treated as very special gifts from God.  They never grow up with the gloomy insecurity and self-esteem destroying attitude that they are just a burden or some extremely expensive commodity that their parents unwisely obtained, so that the child might be wondering if his parents regret having had him or her.  Children raised in our communities never experience the rejection or assault on their very existence that many of their peers outside our communities have to suffer.  They know that they are loved, accepted and wanted, and that adults can be counted on to care for them, teach them, train them, protect them, pray for them and explain life to them.  All their needs and the provisions for a happy, healthy, wholesome life are freely given.  Their lives are not twisted into aberrant behaviour patterns because people around them are too busy for them, don't love or want them, or feel they are in the way or inconvenient.  Joyful acceptance of children is a way of life in our homes.

                Little children in society at large are forced to see and hear many abusive things to which we would never think of subjecting the children in our communities.  Imagine what it must be like for small children to be exposed to the sort of demoralising and fear-causing conversations about children that are often commonplace and accepted in everyday speech and on TV.  Imagine how a child must feel after hearing adults freely discuss how the number of children needs to be strictly limited, like some unwanted problem; or to hear how disgusting and irresponsible it is for anyone to have more than one or two children; or to hear a pregnancy referred to as a "mistake" or an "accident" and see the expectant mother being ill-treated for not taking proper "precautions" to prevent such an "awful" thing happening; or listen to the daily harangue of adults on TV or elsewhere, endlessly debating whether babies should even be allowed to be born if the mother decides she would rather not have them.  Imagine how defenseless children are to the insinuation that somehow their very existence is the cause of many of the ills of society, and that their parents labour under the great inconvenience and burden of having to care for them to the point that their parents perhaps do not even come home any more, or drink heavily when they do, or argue violently with each other.

                In comparison with many homes and home life for children, our cooperative homes and communities are like child shelters and safe havens from the storm of insults and emotional turmoil falling on so many children today.  You will find thousands of pages of material among our writings that support this deep and most reverent respect for children in all stages of their development.

2. Childbirth is considered a normal and natural event, and mothers and fathers-to-be and siblings involved are well prepared both physically and spiritually for the new baby.

                Expectant mothers in our communities have extensive instruction available to them, as well as good preparation, support and personal care throughout the prenatal and postnatal period.  Much time and personal attention is invested in instilling in each person involved in birth and baby care a very positive and confident attitude towards the birth process, newborn babies and their care.  Each person who works with babies is trained in the many details of care, feeding, safety, cleanliness and other practical matters of child care, and, because we live communally, there are many experienced mothers on hand to give counsel and guidance as well--a support system that is sadly lacking in much of society at large due to the breakdown of the traditional family.

                Husbands in our group are encouraged to assist their wives throughout the pregnancy and to be knowledgeable of what is happening in all stages of development.  The end result of all this care and attention is that childbirth for our mothers is seldom a traumatic experience, and there is no lack of help, moral support, coaching, comforters and prayers to see them through to the finish line.

                It just is not possible for most mothers in mainstream society to bestow on their babies the amount of care and personal attention that babies in our communal homes enjoy.  A new baby is not only a welcomed, exciting new addition to a home, but the new mother never lacks for help.  And a new baby, for any family, involves a host of details and hard work.  Caring for babies is our specialty, and we have much collective experience in this area since our families are often quite large.  It is an art form with us, and we are mindful of the tiniest details, from checklists of what mothers need to pack when they go to the hospital to a thorough knowledge of the nutritional needs of mothers and babies.

3. Our child-care methodology is based on Scripture, coupled with the mutual sharing of counsel and experiences in publications or special seminars.

                Our child-care methods are firmly based on Scriptural principles that have been tried and tested by generations, and which we feel have stood the test of time.  We feel this rich heritage and guidance found in Scripture is being carelessly tossed aside by a secular wave of disregard for spiritual principles in the world today, leaving in its wake anarchy and confusion.  All of our members diligently study the Scriptures, Old and New Testament, and we seek to apply Scriptural guiding principles in practical ways to all aspects of our lives--the care and training of children being very notably one of our first concerns.  Members are also free to apply the guidelines, ideas and suggestions in Father David's and others of our elder's writings, according to their own situations.

                One method we currently use to help us apply these principles in a practical way to our lives and especially to child care is by collectively sharing and exchanging counsel, lessons and personal experiences via our publications, video and cassette tapes, etc.  This "open forum" approach allows all constructive sides, opinions and new ideas to be freely expressed and presented to all for consideration, to be used, adapted, or disregarded as a member or individual community sees fit.

4. Our membership enjoys continuous education and upgrading in child-care methods, with published summaries of research by professionals and experts around the world.

                Few parents in society today enjoy the quality, convenience, continuance and up-to-date immediacy of adult education that we provide to all our members, especially in the area of child care.  This ongoing education is in addition to the extensive preparation, practical training, and experience in parenting that all our teens and young single adults receive.  As a group, we always attempt to remain open to good advice, and flexible enough to be able to change and update our methods whenever and wherever needed.  Our child-care researchers dedicate much time and effort to help all members stay in tune with the times and abreast of all major positive new developments and insights in child care and education by providing book summaries, videos, literature, seminars in new method-ology, recommended book lists, etc.  We are always looking for worthy proposals from innovators and experts around the world, Christian and secular, that will help provide our children with superior care and training.  Society at large lacks the resources or opportunity to provide all its members with the same level of free and continuing education that we are able to provide our members.

5. Married couples are helped through domestic problems so that any such difficulties do not spill over and adversely affect the children.

                Like all members of society, we as individuals are subject to human nature, and sometimes fall short of our ideals.  However, through Jesus and His love and the miracle-working power of His Spirit, we are able to live in close community with each other, showing much love and concern for the happiness and welfare of others.  When problems do arise, such as problems in marriage, we can turn to the Lord, the Scriptures and each other for help and counsel in order to try to work things out and find solutions.  This has many advantages for our married couples and their children.  Most couples in society at large who are having marriage problems struggle on alone, trying to work their problems out, often without much success.  Some seek out the help and counsel of friends and a few go to professionals, but by that time the problem has usually become very serious, and certainly noticeable to their children.

                In our communities, help is readily available, so children do not have the ugly experience of helplessly watching the painful breakdown of a marriage, which in some areas of Western society up to 50% of all children must now endure on a daily basis.  Because our families live in community, and support and counsel are so easily accessible, the children are rarely, if ever, exposed to serious confrontations between their parents, or adults having temper fits, or screaming and being verbally or physically abusive to each other, as these are considered serious and usually excommunicable offences.  Physical violence such as wife battering or violence done to children is virtually unknown in our homes.  This is because any sign of a developing emotional and/or physical confrontation is taken seriously and addressed before it erupts and thereby affects others. If the problem persists after prayer and counselling, the couple may be asked to either consider temporary separation, leave the community and become non-resident (non "live-in") members, or to find some other immediate solution to the problem.  Much literature is made available to our membership to help them improve their marriages and be good parents to their children.

6. Unwed mothers in our membership do not suffer any form of social rejection, abusive treatment or condemnation, nor are they considered an economic burden in our communities.

                We believe that a conventional marriage affords children the most ideal parenting, having a father and a mother present, but we take no offence whatsoever at single parenting and motherhood outside of legal marriage.  We rejoice with each mother in the joy each new baby brings.  Most of the problems facing many young mothers, especially unwed mothers in society at large, rarely exist or occur within our homes and communities.  Economic burdens are shared by all.  There is no social stigma, condemnation, rejection or shame directed at unwed mothers, and no child born out of wedlock is ever labelled or slandered because of the marital status of his mother or the race of his father.  In fact, all mothers and their children are well provided and cared for, and the extra workload a baby brings is shared by others in the home or community.  Mothers never have to worry about finding a suitable baby sitter or hired nanny, or having to leave their child with some uncertain strangers, as many working parents in society at large are forced to do while they struggle on their own to make a living and raise their children.

                In Britain, a startling four out of every ten recent marriages are now expected to end in divorce, according to a new survey, and a quarter of all children under 16 years of age will see their homes break up.  An official report by the Family Policies Study Centre, entitled "The Family Today," says,  "It is estimated that by the end of the century only about half of all British children will experience conventional family lives." Also, fewer people are choosing to marry.  Under present trends a quarter of the population will still be single at the age of 50.  The number of single mothers has risen from one in twelve 20 years ago, to one in five today.  Births outside marriage have tripled to around three of every ten children.  Compounding the emotional distresses for the children involved is the fact that single-parent families are more likely to live in poverty.  Around 63 per cent of single parents have incomes below the poverty level needed to qualify for state benefits.  (Edited from an article by Bill Akass in Daily Express.)

7. Children in our communities are not stigmatised or mistreated because of their parentage.

                Children in our group are never stigmatised because of the marital status of their mother, or because of their racial background.  This is sadly not the case in society at large, where according to statistics, upwards of 25% of all children being born are frequently condemned, derided, rejected and treated as inferiors by their peers and others for much of their formative years, just because their mother was unwed or because their father is of some other race, or perhaps one of their parents are missing.

                Any of our children who fit those categories would probably not even know that such cruelty or irrational intolerance even existed were it not pointed out to them by those outside our communities.  Children whose fathers are not present, or children who may have some noticeable difference, such as skin colour or a handicap, are in no way deprived of support, or stigmatised, or made to feel separate or different or inferior in any way.  Single parents needing extra help with their child or children find other families happy to include them in their recreation time, special outings and activities.  Our homes are happy havens for such parents, where life is orderly, needs are taken care of, and meals are regular and nutritious.

                We encourage strong individual family ties, and seek to provide care, counsel, assistance, moral and spiritual support, and protection to all members. We believe that taking care of each other is not only Scriptural but the normal Christian thing to do.  It is a custom that much of society once enjoyed in clans, tribes or small neighbourly communities, but has now largely lost in the climate of fear, guardedness, selfishness, materialism, impersonality, distance of work locations, and a general lack of time or opportunity to form close friendships and strong community bonds.

C. GOOD DIET, HEALTH AND HYGIENE

1. We stress the need for and importance of good diet and proper physical care of pregnant women to ensure strong, healthy and happy children.

                Pregnant women in our communities receive particularly healthful, well-balanced diets, reduced work- loads, much personal care, as well as good preparation and training for their delivery.  A pregnant woman's diet is carefully monitored to assure that she is eating properly, drinking enough milk, and receiving proper vitamins and  dietary supplements, to assure the healthy growth and development of the baby she carries. Mothers who suffer morning sickness are carefully attended to, much attention being given to finding or preparing food that is appealing to them, including purchasing any special foods they may have a craving for during early pregnancy.

                Pregnant women are encouraged to get proper rest and exercise, and to do no overly strenuous activities.  They are encouraged to ask for help, which is readily available from others, rather than to take any unnecessary risks. For example, climbing up on a chair to reach items on high shelves or lifting heavy loads would be considered an unnecessary risk to take.  We even give much attention to the quality of the environment of the mother during her pregnancy, believing the child to be very susceptible to prenatal influences.

                The nursing mother is also carefully attended to, to be sure she has ample opportunity to rest and recover, and that she continues to eat quality foods that will be good for her and not upsetting to the digestion of her nursing baby.

2. All members are encouraged to provide expectant mothers with the best of care.

                Expectant mothers have check-ups with a doctor or midwife to assure that all is well with the mother and her developing child.  Arrangements are made for mothers to deliver their babies as calmly, peacefully and naturally as possible under the supervision of doctors or midwives.  Mothers are encouraged to visit a dentist to be sure that their teeth are staying strong and the calcium resources of their body are not being taxed from having children and from breast-feeding.  All babies, if possible, are breast-fed to assure they have every natural advantage and natural nutritional resource available to them for their optimal growth and development.  There are many organisations and specialists who take the same position as we do concerning the wonderful benefits and importance of breast-feeding.  Not only is the health of each baby greatly benefitted, but a wonderful bond is formed between mother and baby during this time, which so many of society's working mothers and their babies are otherwise denied.  We believe our babies to be some of the most peaceful, secure, healthy, active and alert that you will find in any segment of the population.  They know they are loved and wanted from the first moments of their lives.

3. Good health habits and cleanliness are carefully observed, taught and instilled in all our membership.

                In our communities, cleanliness is viewed as not only a form of godliness, but an essential part of healthy living.  We have a saying, "Cleanliness is not next to godliness, it's part of it!"  Therefore those in our homes strive to be attentive to orderly cleaning, care, repairs and improvements to their dwelling place.  Learning to be neat, clean, keep an orderly environment, and be good stewards of our homes and belongings is carefully taught to the children.

                In one of our communities, it would be considered a sad and serious lack of God's Spirit and His sample of love to negligently expose someone to a disease or illness by not taking precautions.  Dishes are carefully washed.  Members are expected out of concern for each other to be very open and forthright in letting others know if they are not feeling well, in order to prevent the spread of any illness that might be contagious.  People with colds and illnesses take special care not to pass them on to the babies or children.  Any rashes and skin infections are taken care of quickly to prevent spreading and discomfort.

                Hands are washed frequently, clothes are kept clean, and children are appropriately dressed and have proper clothing according to the weather.

                House cleaning, laundry, meal preparation and food serving, dish washing, trash disposal and floor cleaning are all carefully scheduled and supervised.  Kitchens are diligently cleaned, and bathrooms are disinfected regularly.  New work assignments, clean-up jobs and responsibilities are demonstrated and explained when they are assigned or rotated.  Sleeping quarters are kept clean and tidy, and bedding is changed and  laundered regularly.

                A baby's toys are all kept meticulously clean.  If a baby's toy falls on the floor, we advise our members to replace it from a handy supply of clean and ready-to-use items, until washed.  Mothers in our communities can afford the luxury of such meticulous care and attention to details because of the cooperative labour-sharing found in our homes. Soiled diapers are changed promptly so the child does not suffer discomfort, or become accustomed to being soiled, so there is not much opportunity for babies to suffer from diaper rashes and other similar afflictions that some people consider "normal."  Also, children in our communities usually potty train early and easily because of the care and attention they receive.

                Many visitors to our communities wonder why street shoes are often left outside on the porch or veranda, considering this somewhat of a Japanese or Oriental custom.  The reason for this is for the protection of our children, especially babies and toddlers, from tracked-in disease-carrying material and viruses that cover city streets and sidewalks.  Concern about hygiene is very important to us and is the motivation behind many things we do.  Our members who have been out and exposed to much city filth will often immediately shower and change clothes when they come home.

                Observers feel we put too much emphasis on cleanliness, washing of hands, keeping clean, eating the right foods, etc., but it is not only a good and necessary practice when living with a number of other people, but we believe it is an expression of true love to be mindful of details that could possibly jeopardise the health and well-being of others.  This principle of showing outgoing concern for others guides and governs much of our entire lifestyle.

4. In our homes, good diet is stressed, making malnutrition extremely uncommon.

                All our members are encouraged to avoid eating any potentially unsafe or unhealthy foods, such as excessive sweets, junk food, improperly prepared meat, and certain potentially dangerous seafood that may carry cholera and similar diseases.  We generally try to avoid eating foods that are listed as "unclean" in the Mosaic Law in the Old Testament. One of the duties of any persons elected to oversee one of our communities is that they monitor the quality of life and see that the needs of all members are taken care of.  Wholesome meals are planned and served to all, and particular attention is given to the diet of pregnant and breast feeding mothers, developing children and sick or recovering members.

                To provide the children in our fellowships with a good diet and proper exercise is a moral obligation we take great pains to see is fulfilled.  We try to assure that all of our children get excellent, healthful, well-balanced meals, the proper amounts of milk, meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, natural sugars and good roughage.  We do not fill them with junk food, too many starches and sugars, fats and cholesterol to where they become obese and damage may be done to their heart or other internal organs in their growing years.  They are not hyperactive due to excessive sugar intake; they are active and mentally alert naturally.  We have healthful, home-made desserts and treats on birthdays and other special occasions.  Occasionally we supplement the home-made cake with commercial ice cream, but we feel that we can afford such minor indiscretions in our eating habits on special occasions because the majority of times we are very diligent about maintaining a healthful diet.

5. All children are encouraged to get regularly scheduled exercise, fresh air and safe supervised recreation.

                We encourage those in our fellowship to schedule regular time each day for their children to get fresh air and plenty of good exercise.  We encourage games and other athletic activities that are not overly rough and/or competitive.  We strive to have all children's games and recreational activities well-supervised by adult overseers.  All members of a community are encouraged to get at least one hour of vigorous exercise daily for their health's sake.

6. The children in our communities have excellent dental and oral hygiene.

                The overall dental health of our children is excellent.  Their good teeth are the result of intensive personal care and training in hygiene, as well as very well-balanced meals, lack of junk food, excessive sweets, soft drinks, etc.  They have an extremely low incidence of dental caries (cavities), and many reach their teen years without having any caries at all.  A custom peculiar to much of our membership is to carefully rinse our mouths with water immediately after eating, especially if brushing is impractical at the time.  Careful brushing is also a universal habit.  We stress good diet and oral hygiene to the children from a very early age.  Hard candy, excessive sweets, extremes of hot and cold liquids and carbonated drinks are avoided.

D. CHILD-SAFE ENVIRONMENT

1. Our homes are very clean, hygienic, safe, orderly, peaceful and loving environments for children.

                Our members strive to make our homes as accident-proof as possible.  A slogan we follow is, "The best way to prevent an accident is to make it impossible for accidents to happen."  Most accidents are caused by carelessness, lack of love, or just a lack of proper attention and training.  It would be impossible here to even attempt to outline the detail, attention and prayer that we devote to making our homes safe and clean environments for all to live in.  A normal family or single parent simply would not have the time, collective experience, personal conviction, training, personnel, or resources to put into effect the measures that have come to be standard fare in our homes and communities.

                Children's rooms are made safe, clean and cheerful, with good ventilation and proper lighting.  Upper-floor windows are made safe so no child can fall from them, and windows and doors are carefully screened so disease-carrying flies and mosquitoes do not get into  the house.  Kitchens are kept clean of health-hazardous pests like flies, cockroaches, rodents or even ants.  Dangerous tools are carefully locked up and used with much prayer and observance of precautionary safety measures.  Wet spots on floors are quickly dried to avoid dangerous slips and falls.

                Everyone in the community is trained to be safety-conscious, watching for dangerous items left out, or carelessness.  Paints, solvents and cleaning items are to be carefully stored away out of reach of young children.  Electric tools are unplugged when not in use.  Play equipment, swimming pools and home furnishings are carefully inspected to make them as "child-safe" and accident-proof as possible.

                Our homes themselves are kept in good condition, and repairs are made as needed.  Often one or more persons within the home is a skilled handyman who regularly cares for the normal repair needs of a home; if there is not a handyman present in the home, one may visit from another community to do the repairs, or repairs are taken care of by hired repairmen. First-aid supplies, fire extinguishers and emergency food and supplies are readily available in established communities.

                In our homes, good safety habits are emphasised, especially around babies and young children, and adults are cautioned not to carry sharp objects or even hot cups of tea or coffee or food around babies or children.  That would be considered a reckless and endangering act.  How many homes outside of our communities do you know of where the adults and all members are trained to be that conscientious and mindful of child safety?  Kitchen and cooking areas are generally considered off limits for small children, and the floor is often clearly marked with a line on the floor (usually some colourful tape) showing where the danger area begins and where young children may not go, unless with an adult.  Babies are not to be left unattended and must be carefully watched while on a changing table to avoid the danger of rolling over and falling.    Our members are kept informed about current environmental or other dangers so they can guard against being exposed or exposing their children to a growing number of health hazards, such as: too much exposure to the sun, lead poisoning pollutants in paint or even urban soils, dangerous play equipment, plastic bags in a baby's room or cords near the crib that could cause strangulation, etc.  Electric sockets in areas where small children play are made safe, and sharp edges and corners on furniture are padded or not used in children's rooms.  Even the temperature of hot water heaters in the homes is carefully monitored to avoid the danger of scalding anyone.  Needless to say, our children do not play out in the streets, nor are they left on their own or unsupervised.

                We continually strive to make our homes child-safe environments: no unfenced swimming pool areas are allowed, proper ventilation and correct temperature in all rooms are maintained.  We recommend that every evening before retiring someone be responsible to carefully check the home to assure that nothing has been forgotten that could cause fire or problems during the night.  In short, our homes are very safe and clean environments for children to live in, as a result of much prayer and study being devoted to safety and cleanliness.

                Some feel we overprotect the children raised in our communities.  However, one only has to look at the shocking number of needless deaths of children from everything from dog attacks to suffocations, drownings, terrible falls, scaldings, electrocutions, poisonings, fires, etc., to realise why we feel that it is better to err on the side of caution when it comes to a child's safety.  We believe that much sorrow and suffering in the world could be done away with if everyone would show more love and personal concern, not only for their own children, but for each other, and ask God for guidance and His protection of themselves and their loved ones.

2. Our homes, possibly more than any other place or institution in society today, are free from all forms of "substance abuse," legal or illegal.  Our children are born absolutely free of the effects of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, or any other damaging drugs.

                In keeping with our Scripturally founded aversion to willfully damaging the temple of God, our bodies, alcohol consumption in our homes is limited to very small amounts, usually one four-ounce glass of wine per week per adult.  For health and dental reasons, hard liquor, beer, and even Coca-Cola and other soft drinks, are not considered acceptable beverages.  It is also recommended that even coffee and tea be taken in moderation, with two cups of coffee or tea being the usual daily maximum.

                We are a totally drug-free society, and that even includes a complete rejection of cigarettes and tobacco products.  Some of our members were even narcotic addicts before joining, but have been totally rehabilitated through the miracle-working power of Jesus within the supportive climate of our communities.  Such temperance on our part makes for healthier, happier people, and is a great blessing for all our children, who enjoy the almost unique opportunity in this world of growing up in a smoke-free, drug-free, liquor-free environment.  Our homes are wonderfully healthful places for children to be raised in.  The children do not see parents or siblings drunk and disorderly, and they never experience the abusive effects of drug-taking parents who often neglect their children because of the grip of their addictions.

                Since drugs are never allowed and alcohol consumption is carefully regulated and the diet of new mothers is kept particularly healthful, we have no such thing as drug damaged or addicted babies, "crack babies" or babies born with brain damage from heavy alcohol-consuming mothers.  Not only is abstaining from alcohol, drugs and cigarettes a condition of membership, but the positive social and spiritual climate in our homes all but eliminates any need or motivational reason for our members to turn to these substances for solace.  As a group, we are morally committed to doing all in our power to assure that our mothers and children have a healthy environment to grow in.

                Contrast the stand taken by our communities with that of mainstream society, where the abuse of alcohol is proving very costly, both financially and in terms of lost human resources.  Almost every individual in society at large has personally or indirectly felt alcohol's negative effects: alcoholism, loss of job productivity, battered wives and children, ruined marriages, auto accidents, damaged health, etc.  Not only do the children in our communities escape the effects of these vices, but they grow up with positive role models who help reinforce their own personal conviction and make it less likely that the children will become heavily involved in drinking later in life.

3. Children in our fellowships live in a smoke-free environment.

                We say "No" to nicotine: our children and young people grow up in smoke-free homes.  Statistics point out that just being around a smoker and breathing the smoke-filled air puts your life at risk too.  For example, nearly 53,000 nonsmokers in the U.S. alone die each year from the deadly effects of "passive" smoking.  We are told that passive smoking is the third leading cause of preventable death (after direct smoking and alcohol abuse).  We live in a world where nine out of every ten smokers are addicted to nicotine, and worldwide 2,500,000 people around us die every year from tobacco-related deaths, where even children smoke, and in places like the U.S., cute cartoons like "Joe Camel" target and tempt even children with this death-dealing drug!  In society at large, pregnant mothers are permitted to smoke, and children are exposed to smoke-filled homes.

                More than 50,000 scientific studies have been made on the subject and all show that smoking or breathing smoke-filled air is very bad for everyone's health.  Many studies show that pregnant women who smoke put their unborn baby in grave physical and mental danger.  As Dr. William G. Cahan, attending surgeon at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in the United States and author of a recent New York Times article put it, "Within minutes, each cigarette puff induces carbon monoxide and nicotine into the maternal blood." As the carbon monoxide reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen and the nicotine constricts the blood vessels in the placenta, "the unborn child is temporarily deprived of its normal amount of oxygen.  If this depletion is repeated often enough, it could irreparably damage the fetal brain, an organ uniquely sensitive to oxygen."

                One study shows that five minutes after pregnant women smoked only two cigarettes, the babies they were carrying showed signs of distress--accelerated heart rate accompanied by abnormal breathing-like movements.  Dr. Cahan points out that mothers with the "pack-a-day" habit over their 280-day period of pregnancy will have subjected their baby to "at least 27,000 physical-chemical insults." Imagine what your life would be like if someone tried to suffocate or strangle you 27,000 times over a period of nine months! The end results can be mental dysfunctia, impaired reading ability, hyperactivity, mental retardation, and the American Cancer Society adds that "children of smokers have more respiratory illness than those of nonsmokers, including an increase in the frequency of bronchitis and pneumonia."

                In our homes we do all we can to provide the children, pregnant mothers and all members with clean, smoke-free air and nicotine-free bodies.  We obviously love our children and want them to have strong healthy bodies, and have enough concern for others and respect for our own bodies to give up smoking and all other harmful habits.  Can most people in today's society say as much?

E. EXCELLENT PHYSICAL CARE AND SUPERVISION FOR ALL CHILDREN

1. Young children are closely supervised.

                The young children in our homes enjoy the benefit of excellent close supervision, love and good training that no public day-care center could hope to provide.  Working parents in today's society are often compelled to send their children to very uncertain environments, where, as is being discovered more and more, children left in the care of strangers are being sadly neglected, mistreated and abused. By contrast, in our communities, even the parent or parents who do have to be outside the home during the day know that their children are being well cared for by people they personally know and can trust, people whose training, motivation, and personal concern for their child they are assured of, and whom they can contact at any moment during the day to see how the children are doing. They know their children get their meals on time, will be properly taken care of in an emergency, will not be left unattended, will be trained and educated and will be happy.

                Our communal lifestyle lends itself to the ideal of a live-in day-care center where parents can leave their children with complete confidence in those caring for them.  Our children are not any more "separated from their parents" than any other children of working parents in society.  Even if some of our hard-working parents do have to leave their children sometimes, we feel that the situation and facilities we have set up in our communities to care for children are superior to anything that commercial or public facilities could offer.  Our care of children takes place right in the child's own home, in his own familiar surroundings. This fact alone shows that the criticism that our lifestyle "presents an unstable home environment for our children" is simply not true.  The benefits of our communities' child-care methods become even more apparent when you consider how the young children of working parents in society at large are handled.

2. The children in our communities are never lonely, locked out, or "latch-key" kids.

                Not only do our younger children have the best of day care, the older children also benefit greatly from having their school at home.  Our communities serve families much like a modern version of the large, traditional, extended family of the past where someone is always home for the children.  None of our children know what it is like to be locked out or "latch-key" kids--that sad social condition where millions of children of working parents come home after school each day to an empty house or apartment.  The harsh economic realities of current society make it very difficult for a family to afford the luxury of one parent staying home to mind the house and the children.  In many households, both parents must work and there is little time for caring for the children, nor is an aunt or grandmother usually available to stand in for the missing parent.  At school, children fare little better, studies showing that under the weight of heavy class loads a teacher can at best only give a child a few moments of his or her personal attention.  Each day this generation of "locked out" children is increasingly being exposed to the ravages of street life, youth gangs, crime, drugs, prostitution, alcohol, Satanism, suicide and a host of other grave social ills.

                In contrast, our homes are always full of activity, and children are not left alone to wander through life trying to find someone to talk to who will listen to their problems and help them work things out.  Our children enjoy much open and free communication.  Like the extended family of bygone years, there is always someone to turn to for help through a problem.  It is our perception that society at large would do well to closely consider the solution we have to offer, which has proven to be very effective--that of living and working together communally to provide a caring environment for children.

3. Our parents are required to take quality parent time with their children daily, and one day a week is dedicated totally to family activities.

                Our parents not only have the unique opportunity to spend excellent personal family time communicating with their children each day, but are expected to do so.  Our entire lifestyle and missionary-based ministry provides much more opportunity for our members to spend time with their children than the average family outside our community can ever hope to enjoy.  Most of our communities dedicate one entire day each week for individual families to take special time off together for recreation and to strengthen family ties.

F. DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOUR

1. Within our communities, we have clear, non-abusive guidelines for child discipline and behaviour.

                 Children are not to be belittled or abused verbally, nor are they to be corrected by an angry or emotionally upset adult, and no form of harsh, unloving discipline is allowed.  Parents are not to correct their children in anger, but are expected to "cool off" first.  All correction is to be conducted in an attitude of faith, calmness and prayer, even when firmness is needed.  We have made available to our membership an extensive collection of book summaries and writings embodying much of the best counsel available today by leading doctors and experts in the field of child care.

G. SPIRITUAL TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

                Article 5 of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination of Belief clearly states:

                1. The parents or, as the case may be, the legal guardians of the child have the right to organise the life within the family in accordance with their religion or belief and bearing in mind the moral education in which they believe the child should be brought up.

                2. Every child shall enjoy the right to have access to education in the matter of religion or belief in accordance with the wishes of his parents, or as the case may be, legal guardians, and shall not be compelled to receive teaching on religion or belief against the wishes of his parents or legal guardians, the best interests of the child being the guiding principle.

                3. The child shall be protected from any form of discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief. He shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, respect for freedom of religion or belief of others, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men.

1. Our communities provide the children of our members with the unique opportunity to be raised in a totally Christian environment and culture.

                We provide our children with an excellent Christian culture, heritage and environment unavailable to them in present society.  We not only believe it is our right and the right of the children in our fellowship to be raised and nurtured in our religious beliefs and way of life, but it is our moral duty.  There are simply no adequate facilities in ordinary society that can offer our children instruction in our faith and access to our unique expression of Christian devotion and way of life, which we believe to be expressly prescribed by Scripture.

                The necessity of teaching our lifestyle and manner of serving the Lord to our children is further reinforced by the fact that Western society has, in our view, become extremely secular and humanistic in its perspective.  Its emphasis on materialism, its dogmatic approach to evolutionary teachings, its general moral abandonment, its tacit approval of the open mockery and religious persecution of active Christians, its deepening unresolved social problems and flagrantly anti-theistic teachings and prevailing attitudes are completely contrary to our faith.  This general world view that society is becoming increasingly anti-God and anti-Christian is a view held not only by those in our fellowship, but by millions of Bible-believing Christians of many denominations throughout the world.

                The harassment heaped by some upon our collective expression of faith in the Lord and His prescribed pattern of living for His followers is to us proof of our point that society generally, and certain segments specifically, are becoming progressively more and more non-Christian based, hostile to and restrictive of any form of Christian expressions of faith, lifestyle, prayer, education and Bible study that do not fall within exceedingly narrow parameters.

                We do not find, even in the mainstream of Christianity, sufficient evidence of belief, practice and lifestyle to persuade us that Christianity in its institutional form is not in rapid deterioration, even as the Bible predicted it would be in the days prior to Jesus Christ's return.  (2 Thessalonians 2:3) As George Bernard Shaw said, "I have nothing against Christians; I just haven't met any yet."  Or as the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard stated in his Attack on Christendom, "The Christianity of the New Testament simply does not exist.  Millions of people through the centuries have little by little cheated God out of Christianity, and have succeeded in making Christianity exactly the opposite of what is in the New Testament."

                We may not agree with Kierkegaard's existential conclusions, but certainly understand his concern and criticism of the pervading condition of Christendom.  We are Christians who are seeking to pattern our lifestyle specifically after the New Testament model outlined in Acts 2:44 and 45, which says, "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." (KJV)  We seek to provide the world with a living sample and proof that communal Christianity, as it existed originally in the first century A.D., is still possible and practical today.  Furthermore, as a group, we strive to obey the commandment of Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." This commandment of Christ is the motivating force behind much of what we do.

                In the process of reconstructing functioning communities in the 20th century, based on the pattern of the original Christian Church, we have discovered a wealth of social, devotional, and personal benefits that spring from this cooperative lifestyle.  We feel our fellow Christians, and society as a whole, would benefit greatly from our non-traditional innovations.  We feel much of what we have learned in our movement would be of great interest to those seeking to find solutions to many of society's current ills.

2. We raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but leave the ultimate choice of service up to them.

                Unlike individual preachers, pastors, nuns or priests, we as a community all serve the Lord, and that includes the children of our members.  Our children, like young Samuel in the Bible, grow up in a lifestyle totally dedicated to full-time service for the Lord.  But unlike Samuel, who had to leave his mother to go live in the Temple (1 Samuel 1:24-28), our children are able to serve the Lord with their parents.  We love our children dearly and pray that they too will be called by the Lord to serve Him as we do.  For our part, we give the children the best care, moral training and personal example we can while they are young.  However, it is up to them as they get older to choose what they will do.  Most choose to stay, but some choose to leave, and they are allowed to do so if they are of legal age or if relatives or suitable safe accommodations can be found for them.

H. MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CARE AND DEVELOPMENT

1. Our members are affectionate, but not "sexually" affectionate, with their children.

                We consider being loving and affectionate to our children a basic requirement in being a good parent.  However, this should not be construed, as some mistakenly have, as being sexually affectionate or manipulative.  Much is written and touted in psychological circles about the importance of touch therapy.  We believe in giving young children a lot of warm hugs, kisses on the cheek and pats on the back for a job well done.  Our children are naturally affectionate and do often greet one another and friends with a warm hug or an embrace, which we do not associate with sexuality but simple human warmth and understanding.  We believe that the affection demonstrated at all levels within our communities is in accordance with the norms of society, and with what researchers and the medical profession consider to be healthy and desirable.  We do, however, very carefully teach the children in our communities that they have not only the right, but the duty, to report any touching or affection that makes them feel uncomfortable, especially if it seems to be done in a sexual way.

                Living communally removes a lot of barriers between people that those not living communally may not even realise exist.  For example, most members of Western society are used to having large personal zones or spacial distances between themselves and others.  They may experience shock and discomfort when they travel out of their native home community and visit parts of the Middle East, Southern Europe or South America where people are used to being much closer physically while communicating without feeling uncomfortable.  Visitors to our communities may sometimes experience some measure of cultural discomfort, especially if they are not used to shorter speaking distances and warm social embraces.

2. A separation or divorce is less traumatic for our families and children.

                If a couple decides to separate, a mother and her children or a father and his children do not have extra burdens to bear, since everyone cooperates and helps in the care and maintenance of our homes.  Couples who choose to part are helped to do so amicably, without harsh words or hard feelings.  Every effort is made by the parents to help their children fully understand what they have decided to do and why, and that the children are in no way to blame.  The custody of the children is decided by the couple themselves, in prayer and counsel with other members of the community, and with the children themselves.  Children are free to visit back and forth with the other parent if both parents remain within our fellowship.  If a parent leaves, legal arrangements are left up to the couple. Children have much help and support from the whole community when their individual family is undergoing stress.

                There are no long, drawn-out legal battles over ownership of everything from a house to a family pet, as is often found in society, since as a group and as individuals we have voluntarily chosen to have few personal possessions.  As a result, and because of our very supportive community life, separations and divorces do not usually affect children in our fellowships as deeply as they do children living in society, who frequently experience intense social, emotional and even economic upheavals when their parents divorce.

3. Children and young people in our fellowships do not have to worry about their future or the haunting loneliness and isolation that drive thousands of other teens and young adults into committing suicide each year.

                Our young people are well cared for and guided step by step into adulthood.  They grow up in a very supportive environment.  Suicide or suicide attempts are rare to non-existent in our homes.

                Young people and single adults in our communities never know the haunting loneliness that is becoming a worldwide malady as the traditional family disintegrates and teens and young single adults are left without homes and families.  Loneliness is a growing social sickness that only promises to get worse as people not only lose close contact with others, but do not have the comfort of an abiding faith in Jesus and the reassurance of His presence in their lives.  We feel that the skills and abilities we have learned through communal cooperation can provide a  social solution that more and more people in society will need to turn to in order to survive the increasing social, emotional and even economic strains they are having to face.

                Though living in cities and surrounded by millions of people, large sections of the population suffer from severe loneliness.  The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 23 million people in the United States, representing nearly one quarter of the nation's households, live alone.  Many are elderly, but a 1990 issue of the U.S. Government's Monthly Labor Review confirms that young people in their late teens and 20's are "the fastest growing group in the living-alone category." Many of these come from broken homes and do not relate well to the opposite sex, or fear involvement because of the great probability of divorce.  The median age in the U.S. in 1988 for men first marrying was 25.9 years old, and for women first marrying was 23.6 years.  This was the highest ever, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

I. POSITIVE SOCIAL TRAINING AND ATTITUDE DEVELOPMENT

1. Our children are not exposed to sarcasm, put-downs, swearing or other abusive language.

                Diligent effort is made to speak to others in a kind and loving way.  We believe that what we say and the way we talk to others reflects what we are like inside, applying the Scripture: "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34).  We also believe that words have creative or destructive power, and we strive to be mindful of the many admonitions in the Bible to not be foolish or unwise, but to always strive to speak as we think God would approve.  Conversation in our homes is therefore to be "edifying," as the Bible puts it. Humour that is not negative, offensive or hurtful to anyone has a healthy place in our conversation.

                Cursing and swearing are not acceptable in conversation, even when angry.  Some expressions used on rare occasions may to a non-member sound like swearing, but are not used in the common manner  as a profane exclamation.  For example, if someone were to say, "God damn such-and-such!" we would take that person literally, understanding that he wants God to judge or condemn whatever he is speaking of. Such strong expressions are very rare, and for someone to accidentally hurt themselves and say "God damn it!" would certainly be shocking, and be considered a very unacceptable way of speaking.  Often we find it necessary to explain to our children outbursts which they hear and encounter in the course of meeting outsiders.  The words "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ," for example, to us and our children only bring up wonderful images of our precious Lord and Saviour.  These words are never used as swear words or in blasphemous ways.

                So alien is swearing to common speech that when our children meet and are exposed to the abusive, profane language used by others, it is often necessary to explain to them such things as the confusing usage of "Jesus" that non-members frequently make, helping them understand that when some people say "Jesus," it isn't always a sign of reverence and respect.  Of course, as they grow and have much more contact and communication with others, they quickly learn and understand all these things.  However, such negative speech habits do not take hold in the lives of children in our fellowships, because they are not reinforced by any bad example, and there really is no place or receptive soil for such sad habits of speech to grow and develop.  This is another reason we are very selective as to what movies or television our children watch, or music they listen to.

2. The children in our communities are provided peaceful, non-violent environments in which to grow and mature.

                A very obvious difference between the children in our fellowships and many children today is that destructiveness and cruelty are, for the most part, absent in our children.  We live the principle that if you do not want a cruel, destructive child, then do not expose them to cruel, destructive behaviour.  Our children are raised to believe that destructive and cruel behaviour is not natural, but abnormal and unacceptable behaviour.  Cruel or  sadistic treatment of animals, bullying, vandalism and other wanton acts of destruction by delinquents are practically unheard of among our children, who are taught to be faithful caretakers of pets, to protect and help weaker members, and to respect the property of others.

                Ours is a non-violent environment.  Violence, we believe, is learned through suffering abuse, or through such activities as watching senseless violence on TV, or playing violent video games that encourage children to participate in vicarious killing.  We do not expose the children in our communities to violent movies such as "Rambo."  We do not give them toy guns and weapons of war, nor encourage them to play any kind of war games.  All forms of heavy competition and hostility during sports activities and games are also discouraged.

                We do not tolerate any form of violence or hostile aggression among our members, and the same rule applies to our relationships with those outside of our communities, other than in situations of direct physical attack on our person or on our women and children, where we deem it acceptable to act in self-defence or out of natural concern for their health and safety.  We believe that within every man, woman and child who has received Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, dwells a measure of the actual presence of Jesus  ("Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27), and to varying degrees of manifestation, the Holy Spirit.  Thus as we are warned by Scripture, whatever is done to even the lowliest person who is a believer in Him, either good or evil, is in fact directed to Jesus Himself.  ("Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Matthew 25:40)

                In the case of extreme hostility being directed at us, we pray for the Lord to intervene on our behalf, as ultimately judgement and the execution of justice belong to Him.  Also, when seriously threatened or endangered, we have not hesitated to call the authorities for protection.  The Bible teaches us to respect and appreciate the police, calling them "God's ministers" (Romans 13:1,6).  In situations such as civil unrest, hostile media hype, religious bigotry, etc., where the police are not able to provide adequate protection, we, as caring parents of our children, prefer to relocate to safer and more peaceful locations.

                A noticeable characteristic of our children is how peaceful they are in their interactions with each other, showing a remarkable degree of sharing and caring, much advanced for their years.  We have even been criticised for this, that children in our fellowships are "too good" because they are not more selfish, hostile, violent and aggressive with each other, but instead show a large measure of love, consideration and kindness to one another. We find it incomprehensible that people would criticise the beautiful, loving, peaceful and happy personalities  our children have, just because such qualities are so unusual in society today.  Physically abused children, children used to harsh treatment, children used to being immersed in a world filled with violence on TV, violence in cartoons and violent abusive behaviour on the part of peers, simply do not develop the quality of character that the children in our communities enjoy as a natural result of growing up in a non-violent, loving environment.  It is no psychological cover-up, no deep-seated defensive reaction that causes our children to be exemplary in conduct, manners and speech.  It is plainly and simply the good results of an excellent environment and upbringing.  Children show their nature and the nature of their upbringing very clearly.  If you do not believe what we say, then look at our children.  You could leave your baby in a room with any one of our older children or teens and the baby would be perfectly safe and well cared for.  You could not do that with many children or young people these days, simply because they are not trained to care for others, and are often exposed to incredible doses of violence in their everyday life.

3. Children raised in our communities are socially confident, have good manners and relate well to all age groups.

                Our children learn a great deal about manners, being courteous, and showing kindness and understanding to others.  They are generally confident in speaking to people of any social standing, nationality or age.  This is due to the fact that our homes contain a wider range of ages and people than most children ever have opportunity to get to know.  Like small communities of bygone years, our children are included in social functions rather than left at home with inexperienced baby sitters.  Our members go out to witness and spiritually minister to people, and the children often have the opportunity to go as well, and they know they have a very important place in God's work.  This respect for their real and significant worth greatly helps our children to have a more positive attitude towards themselves and greater self-esteem.

                We do not rigidly group children in our homes into single-age groupings, unlike many schools, and we strive to provide them with many opportunities to interact with and experience role and relationship changes with other ages.  For example, a child may help with the younger children one day, giving him or her a great sense of importance and fundamental leadership training, and the next day he may work with older teens in a drama production, or he may be involved in a handyman project with adults, or get up and perform for the whole group.  This wide range of social interactions helps instill in our children a great sense of social confidence with any age group.  Artificial and socially isolating "generation gap" barriers simply do not exist in our communities.

                We put great worth on the value and need for respect for each individual, and strive to do away with all forms of double standards in our homes.  In other words, all members, adults and children alike, must equally respect the rules of their community, and where possible, children themselves are involved in the decision making that goes into the setting of rules and standards for the community.  Older children, teens and adults are expected to set a good example for the younger.  We strongly disapprove of belittling, teasing, condescension and disrespect, which further helps children grow up feeling good about themselves and helps all to live in greater harmony and mutual respect.

                In contrast to this, in society at large, it is considered "normal" in most homes for children to be  "at war" with their siblings and even their parents.  The concept of the "generation gap" as synonymous with "alienation of age groups" is so universally entrenched in the ongoing mind-set and media portrayal of modern families in most so-called "advanced" nations, that it is even difficult for some people to imagine that in our communities there is no significant "generation gap" other than a respect for elders.  American movies and television programs in particular are most offensive in the way they highlight, reinforce and openly encourage the most insolent and vulgar ways of speaking to one's siblings, or horrible examples of parent-child communications.  We feel that the kinds of "corruptive conditioning" that the mass media expose children to are truly reprehensible.

                Most parents in society are faced with a child-care dilemma, since, on the one hand, they are increasingly held legally responsible for the crimes of their children.  (In some places parents are even being fined or sent to jail for the crimes their children commit.)  Yet, on the other hand, their hands are totally tied by the erosion of their authority, their lack of good training in parenting skills, and the lack of encouragement and parenting support.  They are battered by forces that smash and divide families rather than strengthen them, plus they hardly ever have the time or opportunity to spend quality time with their children.  Added to that is the fact that there is little or nothing in the child's experience at school, in society, or on TV which really helps the child learn to love, respect, appreciate and want to open up to and communicate with his parents.

                We sincerely believe that Christian principles and practices such as cooperative living offer an island of sanity and shelter in a society where too many families and children are just not surviving the storms of recession, broken marriages, drugs, alcohol, alienation, loneliness and moral abandonment.

4. Human sexuality is portrayed as something potentially beautiful and a gift and creation of God.

                Children in our communities grow up in an environment where a natural attitude exists towards themselves, their bodies, having babies, and sex in general. Sex and our bodies are not thought of as being evil, wicked, or disgusting.  Because our children are taught to have a wholesome and healthy attitude towards sex, they are not as prone to the sexual extremes sometimes exhibited by teenagers in society at large.  Of course, children in our fellowships are discouraged from participating in sexual activities before they are of legal age, and are expected to be personally responsible in this regard.

                Our attitudes towards sex are based on the teachings we find in the Bible, not on the common, vulgar, debasing portrayal of human sexuality.  Expressed as God intended it to be, sex is one of the most beautiful aspects of life and creation itself, and even symbolic of the divine relationship between Jesus and His Bride, the church.

                The human body is created beautiful by God and has been artfully and tastefully portrayed in many classic works of art down through the ages, in sculpture, painting, and other expression.  We oppose debasing human sexuality and presenting the body in a form that has no aesthetic, artistic or socially redeeming value.  We do not allow the possession or viewing of sexually offensive pornographic films and materials.  We do not approve of any kind of ugly, unloving, or perverse form of sexual behaviour.

5. Sexual morality in our homes is superior to that of much of society.

                Though we have a liberal attitude concerning sex between consenting adults, sex or sexual contact of any type between adults and anyone under legal age is an excommunicable offense in our group.

                In our homes, no one would willingly expose anyone else to a disease or a sexual affliction that they have.  This would be a great affront upon our principles of living by the Lord's rule of loving your neighbour as yourself and doing unto others only what you yourself would want done to you.  Where any question of disease transmission is involved, abstinence is required.  We also practice "safe sex" when needed, condoms being permitted for disease prevention. Our people are not nearly as exposed to AIDS as mainstream society, not only because we have no drug use, but also because we are very dubious of the safety of blood products, and avoid blood transfusions as much as possible.  Also, sex is not permitted with those outside our membership.  Anyone wishing to join one of our communities must be first tested for HIV.

6. Our members and their children are environmentally aware and conservation-minded.

                The children raised in our communities are taught to be conservation-minded and environmentally aware, and they learn through good habits to put this into practice.  For example, they know to turn lights out to save on electricity, not to waste water, to keep things clean and not to litter, to respect plant and animal life and their natural habitats.  We teach our children to take a protective role in caring for the world we live in, not only physically, but spiritually, through the spreading of the Gospel.

7.  We are not at all isolated from people in society.

                Children raised in our homes enjoy a uniquely interracial, cross-cultural, international, Christian perspective on life.  Unlike the stereotyped images of most monastic or communal groups, we believe in active contact and communication with others outside our communities.  Sharing the good news of the Gospel with others, whoever they may be, is a fundamental part and purpose of our lives, thereby helping to improve the quality of life in society at large, as well as keeping our members in close communication with non-members.

                We feel that we and our children have a very important contribution to make to society, providing others with our unique perspective on life, Christian living and spiritual hope for the future.  Therefore, we invest a great amount of time, energy, and manpower in the care and training of our children so that they will be better equipped and better suited to spiritually care for others.  Unlike many other cooperative communities that cut off much of their contact with the society around them, we teach our children how to go out into society at large as missionaries and be a help to others.  Although some religious orders also live in communities, males and females are usually segregated by gender.  Our religious community is like a religious order dedicated to the spiritual service of others, which allows whole families to enter service; men, women and children, married and unmarried all have a place of service.  We feel that having normal families and home lives equips us even better to understand and relate to the day to day problems of the people we minister to.

J. EDUCATION

1. Our children start their education early.

                Our children thrive and prosper in very loving, caring, positive environments, and a major concern in our communities is the education of our children. We believe our early childhood education program is superior to any available in society today.  Education begins practically at birth with bright mobiles, music, songs, infant exercises and activities, sights, sounds and textures to stimulate a young child's development.  Not only do we keep abreast of innovative ideas, but our communities provide ideal opportunities to put theory into practice.  Few homes or institutions can match the quality of attention our children receive.  Most parents in society simply do not have the time, training, help or resources to provide their babies and growing children with such rich opportunities for learning and attention.  Unfortunately, conventional childcare institutions, nurseries and day care centres are often hampered by understaffing, red tape, untrained personnel, and lack of love and dedication, to where they are barely able to provide minimum care.  Thankfully, problems such as these are very rare in our communities, and our children receive excellent care.

2. Our children and membership are highly literate.

                The Word of God is paramount in our lives, so great attention is given to being able to read and comprehend.  Reading is a skill that is cultivated and often begun even while children are babies, using the now renowned Glenn Doman method of teaching babies to read.  It is not uncommon to see children less than two years of age reading words aloud from flashcards and even simple books.  Many children in our communities can read with good comprehension by the age of five or six. How is such progress possible? Well, each child is encouraged to become a skilled reader, and receives from birth much personal attention  and  a  consistent program of learning in  the idyllic, happy, natural learning environment we generate within our cooperative communities.

                Reading is not just a "take it or leave it" skill with us, but is an essential skill deemed universally needful, if not critical, for proper and rapid education and spiritual growth.  Our children regularly test above their age level in reading exams, whereas everywhere in the TV-centred world around us, people are experiencing the pangs and problems resultant from a loss of literacy.  Newspapers go out of business; people can't read and understand the simplest directions; the ability to conceptualise and communicate difficult ideas or record and expand thinking is reduced through loss of reading and writing skills.  But realistically, how can society now turn this trend around, unless they too adopt an approach and appreciation of literacy much as we enjoy in our communities?

3. Our grade schooling program has kept pace with our expanding population of children.

                We pour much training into the children in our homes and communities.  Throughout the years of the growth and development of our movement, we have not only attended to the demands of literally going into all the world to preach the Gospel, but have at the same time provided the special attention and education that children of missionaries need.  From our earliest beginnings, special segments of our work were totally dedicated to meeting the challenge of keeping our members well informed on how to teach their children.  Long  before "home  schooling"  became   an  inter-nationally popular and recognised movement, we were developing a home school program for our members.  When our families were mostly composed of very young children, we encouraged many of our mothers to take courses in the Montessori Method.

                As the demand for more advanced educational materials and training increased, we developed entire home-use study programs, published in special Childcare Handbooks that provide mothers and teachers with simple, easy-to-use checklist curriculums which assure that every child in our fellowship receives a good basic education, easily equivalent to those offered in society at large.  Homes have also been encouraged to purchase Ladybird books and Macmillan books, and lists of other educational home library books have been suggested, keeping portability and cost in mind.  In recent years, this program has greatly expanded and now involves a much larger, more fully developed grade by grade curriculum.  Most homes use the "Super Workbook" series, a popular, non-religious, complete unified learning program developed by educational experts in the United States.

                Besides this formal schooling, the children raised in our fellowships receive a wealth of training and practical experience in all the "life skills" of personal care, safety, environment management, conservation, communication, pet care, etc.  Our very lifestyle provides our children with a rich and challenging "curriculum" by itself, and they enjoy continuous stimulating instruction and training from birth onwards.

4. Our teenagers enjoy a wide range of  Christian and vocational career opportunities.

                The basic format we have chosen for our teen educational program is  traditional Christian and vocational training.  They receive intensive training in Scripture study and Christian career-related skills such as witnessing and ministering to the spiritual needs of others, all skills needed to be successful in missionary or other Christian-related ministries.  Our teenagers also receive very practical and thorough training in a wide range of vocational skills, including secretarial work, word processing, computer skills, translating, mechanics, drama, music, construction, audio and video recording, electronics, carpentry, interior decorating, cleaning, kitchen oversight and organising, cooking, sewing, child care, teaching, etc.  In our missionary life they learn much about history, geography, politics and economics firsthand by living in different countries and being exposed to many different nationalities.

                While most students in society seem to be confined to their desks waiting for graduation, our young people are actively involved and participating in their learning process.  They are translating theoretical instruction into practical application by doing it, seeing it, singing it and living it, and through these experiences they are learning counselling, public speaking, performing, business education, sales, travelling, foreign languages, communications skills, etc.  Much of our young people's training is firsthand, on-the-job experience in a wide spectrum of practical and professional vocational skills.

                Few educational facilities available in society today can match the dedication of our teachers, the man-hours we invest, the intensity and thoroughness of our training, the personal interest we show our students, the high motivation to learn that is involved, the close supervision we give, the quality and practical nature of our whole approach to education.

5. Our children grow up in culturally rich  environments.

                The wealth of new music, audio and video tapes, literature, art, performances, and spiritual perspectives that our Family produces is a clear indication of the very creative and culturally rich home lives our children enjoy daily.  Our membership is comprised of nearly 100 different nationalities, who have ministered at one time or another in nearly 150 different countries of the world, to everyone from the rulers to the ragged.  Many of our children speak more than one language, are familiar with more than one culture of the world, as well as know much about geography from firsthand experience.

                A wealth of experiences, travels, interests, talents, languages, adventures, miracles, meeting famous people, and much more, all converge in our homes as part of the heritage and home life of our children.  Our homes are melting pots of people from various races, creeds and  occupations, each  with  his or her own unique contribution to share to enrich the lives of others.  While most children in society struggle to conceptualise what the world is like beyond their classroom walls, our children often get to go there, or get to know personally someone who has been to those faraway places that some only see on TV or read about in books.  Our collective missionary experience gives our children a wonderful opportunity to grow up with an open and understanding attitude towards other people from other nations, races and cultures.

K. CONCLUSION

Our practical lifestyle and manner of serving God and our fellow man provide a positive infusion of new solutions and resources of benefit to society.

                Our way of life not only provides us and our children with an expression of our faith that fits our understanding of the Scriptures, but serves society as a whole, as society benefits from the dynamics of having a new set of social, economic and religious resources, perspectives and challenges to refer to.

                It cannot be denied, and is an obvious fact substantiated by school superintendents, police, judges and even social service workers, that within our communities we have, to a great extent, found working solutions to many of the economic, social, health, emotional and psychological problems that currently beset society at large.

                Our proposal is that if something works and has good results to prove it, and shows a significant ability to overcome and resist the common woes that modern society is faced with, why then do some seek to destroy it?  Is that not  extremely short-sighted, if not totally irrational?  Where would humanity be without visionaries and divergent thinkers?  What looked like mere mould on one man's petri dish became penicillin to another man of vision, Dr. Alexander Fleming.

                We believe we have much by way of unique experience to offer society.  For example,  we feel that the problems facing many single parents today could be greatly reduced by taking a cooperative approach to housing and child care similar to ours.  Millions of single parents are struggling along in solitude, barely able to cope or survive or care for their children by themselves, when they could so easily be brought together into much more economically efficient, cooperative housing projects where their children would immediately enjoy a much higher standard of living and much better home life and better general care in a more supervised environment.  Many of these lonely, impoverished parents would at last have the opportunity to rise above feeling like a burden to society, stop the erosion of life and dignity caused by poverty and lack of training, and enjoy a great measure of social, emotional, moral and physical help and support from each other, if they could pool their resources and experiences, and work together to overcome their problems.  We could provide interested state agencies with a wealth of information on how to organise such facilities and make them work.

                Many people in society are now finding that they need to live cooperatively just to survive the current economic hardships.  Social and economic upheavals in various parts of the world create a further need for organising large numbers of people, usually in close quarters, often with limited resources.  We have more than twenty years of collective experience in all the little daily details of how to stay clean, happy, healthy and organised in many different situations and housing facilities, with people of all different ages and backgrounds.

                Our fellow Christians could also benefit from our contributions and challenges. Our missionary zeal stimulates many to want to likewise reach out to the world.  Our songs, music, tapes, videos, personal approaches to witnessing, our joyful worship, our dedication in service, our Christian cooperative living, our love for Scripture, our appreciation for the positive aspects of other faiths, our avoidance of materialistic pursuits, our methods of praying and praising God, our simplicity of life, our stimulating literature, our unique customs and manners, have all served to culturally enrich communities of Christians and non-Christians around the world.

                We do not claim to be without faults, but we strive to learn from and correct our mistakes.  We continu-ally set before ourselves and our children the goal of being faithful to God, and to leave this world in a better, happier spiritual condition than we found it.  We ask you to examine for yourself our faith, heritage and home life and be assured that it is an excellent environment for any child to grow up in.

                If you, the reader, still feel unable to grasp the essence of what we, the Family, are all about, we'd like to offer you the opportunity to meet the One whose Life and Love are the cornerstone of our life and ministry.  We are speaking, of course, of Jesus Christ. By inviting Him into your heart, you can personally receive Him and all He has to offer you right now.  Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart], and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).  Simply pray,

"Dear Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God, and that You died for my sins.  Please forgive me for all the wrongs I've done, come into my heart, and give me Your free gift of eternal life.  Amen."

                Once you have received Jesus Himself into your heart and committed your life to following Him and the truth of His Words, you are then in the best possible state--mentally and spiritually--to see us for what we really are: fellow Christians who genuinely love and follow our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus.

                May God bless all sincere seekers of the truth with true Salvation in Jesus Christ!