# Bigger families gain in popularity



## Scott (Oct 11, 2006)

Bigger families gain in popularity


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## RamistThomist (Oct 11, 2006)

This is partly why I am a postmillennialist. The secularist birthrate is in the negative. Many Christian families are booming (not enough, sadly). If we aim multi-generationally, other factors being equal (we'll come back to this), we can't help but win this country back.

However, there are certain factors we need to take into account:
*the rise of Islam.
*Secularists in Washington will make a last-ditch effort to wipe out my people. That will fail, no doubt, but it will give us a scare for a while.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 11, 2006)

The Duggars are doing their part.


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## Scott (Oct 11, 2006)

> This is partly why I am a postmillennialist. The secularist birthrate is in the negative. Many Christian families are booming (not enough, sadly).


The problem is that the secularists have a very succesful recruiting campaign. 88 percent of children from evangelical households leave the church at around age 18 and don't come back. So, a supermajority of children growing up in Christian households leave the faith. It makes me very sad. 

[Edited on 10-11-2006 by Scott]


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## RamistThomist (Oct 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Scott_
> 
> 
> > This is partly why I am a postmillennialist. The secularist birthrate is in the negative. Many Christian families are booming (not enough, sadly).
> ...



But not Reformed households. Plus, secularists have been killing off their voting bloc via abortion. We'll win. Its slow going, but we will win. Secondly, the evangelicals with larger households tend to have more stable households, thus decreasing the % of children leaving.


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## rmwilliamsjr (Oct 11, 2006)

*But not Reformed households.*

is there statistics that show this?

i posted this in another forum a few days back.
no response linking to specific data.

from the NYT:
evangelicals fear lose of their youth

interesting article in today's NYT



> Their alarm has been stoked by a highly suspect claim that if current trends continue, only 4 percent of teenagers will be “Bible-believing Christians” as adults. That would be a sharp decline compared with 35 percent of the current generation of baby boomers, and before that, 65 percent of the World War II generation.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/us/06evangelical.html



does anyone know of good reliable figures on % of covenant youth remaining in the church?

tia.


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## RamistThomist (Oct 11, 2006)

> does anyone know of good reliable figures on % of covenant youth remaining in the church?



No doubt there are covenant children that leave, but I would figure it would be astronomically lower than the slappy-clappy evangelicals who leave.


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## ChristopherPaul (Oct 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> This is partly why I am a postmillennialist.





I guess the dispensationalist families have fewer kids because of Jesus’ warning to those who are pregnant during the end times.


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## RamistThomist (Oct 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ChristopherPaul_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> ...



Right, the very concept of "tomorrow" or "multi-generational" is postmillennial.

(This is tongue-in-cheek, btw).


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## LadyFlynt (Oct 11, 2006)

Reformed ppl are gaining ground...but still slow running. Why? Because their own are shooting them. I've had "reformed" ppl try to shoot me down.


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## Contra_Mundum (Oct 11, 2006)

We (soon to have 5 bairns) just don't listen to whatever criticism we encounter. It doesn't come too strong or too often anyway, so that makes ignoring it easy. Doesn't phase us...

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth..."


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Contra_Mundum_
> We (soon to have 5 bairns) just don't listen to whatever criticism we encounter. It doesn't come too strong or too often anyway, so that makes ignoring it easy. Doesn't phase us...
> 
> "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth..."



Congrats, brother!


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## Ivan (Oct 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Contra_Mundum_
> ...



I didn't catch that the first time I read it. Congrats and God bless, Bruce.


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## MW (Oct 11, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Contra_Mundum_
> "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth..."



Especially if they propagate at a rate of 5 to 1.  May God bless you and your quiver full, Bruce.


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## Scott (Oct 11, 2006)

Congrats, Bruce!


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## polemic_turtle (Oct 11, 2006)

More like 5 to 2 for now.


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## LadyFlynt (Oct 12, 2006)

It may have been due to the area we were in. We are now in an area where large families are not just accepted, they are encouraged. The churches we have found here have quite a few ppl my age and having large families just like us. No one is asking us anymore when we are going to quit, no one is nosing in on our finances, no one is telling us we are irresponsible or being unkind to kids in foster care by having our own (and by the way, Kudos to those that do foster care, but my husband just does not feel called to this).


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## JOwen (Oct 12, 2006)

We are on number 8. Praise the Lord for Covenant children!


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## govols (Oct 12, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ChristopherPaul_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> ...



Five Hill children for me!


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## crhoades (Oct 12, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Ivan_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> ...


Missed it too! Congratulations! May the Lord watch over you guys during the knitting process.


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## Anton Bruckner (Oct 12, 2006)

what does the food bill for a family of 16 look like?:bigsmile: I guess that father wouldn't be shopping regularly at christianbook.com :bigsmile:


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## MW (Oct 12, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Slippery_
> what does the food bill for a family of 16 look like?:bigsmile: I guess that father wouldn't be shopping regularly at christianbook.com :bigsmile:



We have 11 of 12 at home now, but having a very prudent wife, it is not that much different from an average home which indulges in luxury. Hence I have some spare dollars to spend at the reformed bookshop. 

It pays to but in bulk. 

[Edited on 10-13-2006 by armourbearer]


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Slippery_
> what does the food bill for a family of 16 look like?:bigsmile: I guess that father wouldn't be shopping regularly at christianbook.com :bigsmile:



According to the _Dallas Morning News_, the Duggars have a monthly grocery bill as follows:



> The monthly grocery bill runs from $1,500 to $2,000, including diapers and paper products.


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## LadyFlynt (Oct 13, 2006)

Well, ya know...if they just used cloth they could save a ton of money! And if she wouldn't wean exactly at 6mos (well, then there would most likely be less Duggars) 

(brought to you by the hippie on the forum  )

[Edited on 10-13-2006 by LadyFlynt]


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## BertMulder (Oct 13, 2006)

We are blessed with 7 children, 1 girl and 6 boys. May our boys grow up to be leaders in His church. May our daughter be spoken of as the virtuous woman.


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## MW (Oct 13, 2006)

That reminds me of Ps. 144:12.


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## JasonGoodwin (Oct 13, 2006)

We're not able to have children. It gets depressing sometimes.


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## MW (Oct 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by JasonGoodwin_
> We're not able to have children. It gets depressing sometimes.



How about adopting or fostering? I know of couples who have seen barrenness as a guiding providence to become protectors of the fatherless. Especially precious to them is the promise that God sets the solitary in families, Ps. 68:6. Blessings!


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## Augusta (Oct 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by armourbearer_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Slippery_
> ...



God has richly blessed you! We are about to begin phase 2. We have four now, two of which are fraternal twins so who knows what we will get this time around.


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## LadyFlynt (Oct 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by JasonGoodwin_
> We're not able to have children. It gets depressing sometimes.


I know I don't know your situation...but...


I was also told that I couldn't conceive.... <-- me 6 children and 1 loss later.


And there is adoption.

[Edited on 10-13-2006 by LadyFlynt]


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## MW (Oct 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Augusta_
> God has richly blessed you! We are about to begin phase 2. We have four now, two of which are fraternal twins so who knows what we will get this time around.



May the bountiful Lord bless phase 2.


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## RamistThomist (Oct 14, 2006)

Rev Winzer, Colleen, and Traci,
Those are very encouraging reports!


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## ChristopherPaul (Oct 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by JasonGoodwin_
> We're not able to have children. It gets depressing sometimes.



Sure you can - what a blessing you could be to the orphans that would providentially be grafted into your house!


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## ChristopherPaul (Oct 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by armourbearer_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Slippery_
> ...



Wow, talk about a full quiver! 

We are due to have number 5 in four and a half weeks!


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## LadyFlynt (Oct 14, 2006)

I will admit, that there are certain things that either detere a person from adopting or the person deters themself from adopting.

On the fostering situation...many ppl don't want government interference.

On adopting, it can be timely and expensive.


Two things that can help...

Some churches have set aside funds to asist those families that are interested in adopting, but paying the court/agency/attorney fees deters them.

In PA (not certain of elsewhere), adopting a child is easy IF you as the adopting parent are not overly "choosey" (ie., insisting upon certain ethniticity, age, etc.)


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## kvanlaan (Oct 26, 2006)

We are in an unusual position - we adopted first, then had biological children. 

We also thought we could not conceive, volunteered in an orphanage here, and then took a couple of children out on 'loan'. We were unable to bear the thought of bringing Esther and Joseph back, though we've gone on to have a total of 12 children come through our doors The Lord has been faithful for nine years now, that's how long the adoption "process" has taken, and it is not done yet. (To clarify, Esther and Joseph are in the process of being adopted, the other foster children are all back in the orphanage, and Hannah and Izaak are both biological - and both born in Beijing.)

It was difficult to come to terms with adopting for me but it was what was needed to get me to listen to His will for our lives. I think it was that simple.


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