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Focus on the Family’s The Family Project is a 12-part DVD experience for small groups. It explores what we believe is absolutely essential to a biblical worldview—namely, a deeper understanding of God’s design for the family. The series also offers tools to help viewers incorporate these biblical truths into their own families, and to pass them along to future generations. It is being released concurrently with Irreplaceable, a feature-length documentary film that serves as an introduction to and overview of the themes in The Family Project.
The list price for The Family Project DVD set is $99.99.
The 5-DVD set includes the 12 core The Family Project episodes and two discs of related resources. Also included are printed leader’s and participants’ guides for small group study. Additional participants’ guides can be purchased individually, or in bundles of five or ten.
Initially, The Family Project will be available exclusively through Focus on the Family. Later in the year, the set will be available through traditional retail channels as well.
Each video segment runs roughly 25 minutes. A typical Family Project small group might run for 90 minutes, with 30-35 minutes for introductions, prayer and video, and the remainder of the time devoted to small group study, discussion, and wrap-up. Specific running times are as follows:
The Family Project is not a Bible study, although it is solidly rooted in biblical teaching and is designed as a small group experience. It explores the importance of the family not only through the lens of Scripture, but also through history, art, sociology, anthropology, and science.
The core of The Family Project is similar to The Truth Project in that it is comprised of a DVD-based small group experience incorporating printed guide books for both leaders and participants.
Rather than being focused on a series of lectures with one teacher (the role filled by Dr. Del Tackett in The Truth Project), The Family Project adopts a more conversational approach, following host Tim Sisarich as he consults with a wide range of respected theologians, commentators, and other experts from around the world. In addition, The Family Project is augmented by a wide range of ancillary resources, most notably the feature-length documentary film, Irreplaceable.
Unlike The Truth Project, you will not be required to participate in a training session prior to purchasing the DVD set. The Leader’s Guide included with The Family Project includes everything most leaders will need to host a successful small group. For those interested, several brief video tutorials for small group leaders will also be posted at www.FamilyProject.com.
The Family Project is presented in a globe-spanning, documentary style hosted by New Zealander Tim Sisarich, a knowledgeable interviewer and guide. The accompanying printed materials offer additional insights, supporting Scripture, and discussion topics/questions.
SESSION 1 You Are Here—An introduction to the most basic needs of each human being and a discussion of humanity’s desire for belonging and significance.
SESSION 2 Let Us Make Man (Imago Dei)—Man is uniquely made in the image of God—but what must we understand about that image to know who we are?
SESSION 3 It Is Not Good to Be Alone: How Family Completes the Imago Dei—Humanity’s first and most fundamental problem was isolation. God solved this problem by joining Adam and Eve in a relationship to fully reflect His image in the world.
SESSION 4 For This Reason—God unites the first two humans in a wedding and commands them to be fruitful and multiply. What does this tell us about God—and about ourselves as bearers of His image?
SESSION 5 The Man Has Now Become Like One of Us—In the Fall, a family was divided. But redemption also came through a family.
SESSION 6 What God Has Joined Together—God’s design for family is essential to the health of every culture. Social science and practical experience prove this.
SESSION 7 Mothers as Image-Bearers—The relationship between mother and child exemplifies the nurturing care of the God of the universe.
SESSION 8 Fathers as Image-Bearers—God as “Father” is more than a motif; it is central to His nature and core to our being.
SESSION 9 Children as Image-Bearers—Every child is a divine statement of blessing. The bond between father, mother and child reflects the triune God.
SESSION 10 The Enemy—What is the greatest enemy of the family? It might be closer than you think.
SESSION 11 The Great Mystery and Destiny—Marriage foreshadows the future of every Christian: the wedding of Christ to His Bride, the Church.
SESSION 12 My Imperfect Family—Families consumed with appearing “perfect” deny reality. But every family must ask, “What is God calling us to do together for His Kingdom that we can’t do alone?”
One of the key messages of The Family Project is that there are no perfect families. Even the healthiest family is flawed and sinful. In fact, the final session is a discussion of how all Christian families—even in their brokenness and imperfection—can make a positive, redemptive impact on the world around them. Participants will discover that it is in the imperfection and crucible of family that Christ does much of His deepest refining work in His people.
Note: in alphabetical order by last name
Focus has produced a number of additional tools related to The Family Project that families can use at home for their own practical application. These include:
One of the DVDs included with The Family Project set includes a wealth of resources for pastors and churches. Pastors can also visit www.ThrivingPastor.com for additional free resources such as sermon notes, illustrations, promo videos, e-books, and other downloads. If your church is interested in hosting an event, contact Briana Stensrud on our Church Outreach team.
We made this decision for two primary reasons. First, including only one Participants Guide enables us to offer the basic Family Project set at a lower price. Second, we realize that “small groups” come in many different shapes and sizes. Were we to include multiple copies of the Participants Guide in the set, it would be difficult to determine a quantity that would meet the needs of every group. Offering the Participants Guide separately, in bundles of five or ten, seemed like the best way to allow participants in The Family Project to customize the material for the size of their group.
Yes, the DVDs in The Family Project are formatted for all regions.