ABOUT US -

Family Builders International Ministries began over 20 years ago with a vision to bring families together (young and old alike) to learn Biblical principles that could help our families grow in relationship with Christ and with one another.

We adopted a creative, enjoyable format designed to keep the attention of small children, as well as, youth and adults - a format using drama and visual aids, along with songs and audience participation.

Among the many topics of family importance, we address “building with appropriate family building blocks” such as the brick of salvation; the brick of forgiveness; the brick of prayer; and the brick of humility.  We illustrate the ABC’s of parenting which include affection; bonding and communication.  Through the years, Family Builders has been devoted to helping families learn key elements that are necessary for a strong christian family in today’s world.

Over the years, the Family Builders’ concept has been presented to churches and communities in the U.S. and in Central America.

Along with our outreach to families, FBIM is privileged to be able to evangelize through drama and music in the public schools of Central America.

The drama “El Vagabundo” portrays the message that God loves everyone regardless of their status in life.  This drama has been presented to more than 50,000 students and faculty, as well as, in prisons, detention centers, community parks, TV, etc.

The most recent exciting outreach opportunity has been in the area of wholesome family and evangelistic films.  We have produced the story of “Vagabundo” as a spanish film which has been shown to over 3000 students in Costa Rican public schools, spanish-speaking communities and on national and international television.

FBIM’s goal is to aid you in passing the christian faith to the next generation.  If we can be of help by encouraging a Family Builders Ministry in your church or community, or by aiding you in evangelistic efforts in your area, or through making accessible to you and your friends wholesome family entertainment through Take 7 Films, be sure to contact us through our website contact page.

MISSION STATEMENT -

The goal and vision of FB is to bring home the message of Proverbs 23:26, which says, 'My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways.' We have to embrace the idea that we set the example for our children in every manner of life and it is our duty to gain their hearts, which is their mind, will and emotions. We seek to encourage families to pass the baton of their faith to the next generation, to honor God with their lives, and to have a hunger and thirst for His will.

The idea of FB started when our second child was born and we realized that we needed to carve some time out of each week to spend with our children, telling them Bible stories and mainly 'being with' our kids. Soon our friends found out about the idea and asked to join us with their children. In a short time we were relocating from our small living room to our church because of insufficient space. The number of families meeting together, encouraging one another, providing accountability and spending time with their kids, grew quickly. We began to take a different approach to our weekly meetings and began focusing on lessons that were pertinent to family issues, such as obedience, manners, gaining your child's heart, kindness in the home, respect for the elderly, affirmation, etc. As a result, we were able to train up our children in the way they should go and instill in their young lives the important truths and Biblical wisdom needed to form a strong foundation on which godly character could grow and mature.

We follow a simple outline which we call the A,B,C's of parenting:
A - affection
B - bonding
C - communication

In order to gain our child's heart we have to follow these three basic principles. We must show affection to our children, letting them know that we care for and love them. We need to bond with our children, spend quality time with them. And we need to learn to communicate to our children in a correct, loving way.

The basic FB message is told in Genesis 18:18,19: ‘Abraham will surely be a great and powerful nation, and all nations will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised.’ God knew that in order for a great nation to be birthed there had to be someone who would be able to direct his children in the ways of the Lord. Abraham understood God's perfect plan and design for the family. A strong foundation was needed so that God could build upon it. His design was shaped like a building brick, smooth and square, making it ideal for construction.

But today that perfect design is being re-shaped by the world's thinking. The corners and edges are being broken off so that we now have ideas that resemble the shape of oranges - round and rolling - unable to stay in one place. No longer does the constitution of family need to begin with one man married to one woman, which is God's design. And because of the re-shaping and the re-defining of family the foundation on which nations and societies are built is being destroyed and everything is crumbling down. ‘When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ This is the time when we must re-build. We must go back to the very beginning and repair the damage done. We need to re-discover what God's plan and design is for the family. With strong families come strong churches, strong communities, strong cities, strong states and strong nations. But when the strong, brick material of God's word and will for building our foundation is replaced by ideas that turn those bricks into oranges, then suddenly our foundation is squeezed under the weight of life, circumstances and pressures surrounding us, and everything topples down in a big juicy mess!

God is calling us to re-build. He wants us to have firm foundations so that when the winds and storms of life blow around us we will not be shaken.

He also wants us to pass on this truth to the next generation, so that they will not be swayed by the "oranges" of the world.

We as FB must direct our children toward three targets:

1 - salvation
2 - hunger and thirst for God
3 - a desire to do His will

We must teach them of Christ's perfect love and His saving grace. It is not enough to bring them to church and expect them to fully understand redemption and the price paid for their sakes. It is our responsibility to make plain and accessible the truth of His sacrifice and lead them into a relationship with Him. Then we must instill in them a passion for His word and spirit, that they may know Him fully and mature and grow in their faith. And out of that will come the natural desire to do His will. We must help guide and direct them into knowing and understanding what the will of God is for their lives and their future. We must encourage them to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

As we purpose to gain the hearts of our children, we must keep in mind that their eyes look to our ways. We set the standard. We set the example. We carry the responsibility of making sure that what they look to is an imitation of our heavenly Father. Our children are just like sponges that soak up whatever is around them, and when they are squeezed by life's circumstances, it will be the things that influence them that will come out of them. Let us be wise in the way we conduct ourselves in every day situations. As a young tender tree is tied to one that is strong and firmly rooted, so our children should be tied to ourselves, so that they will not be swept away by winds and torrents. In this manner it will be easy to talk about [the ways of God] when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up for they will always be by our side, ready and eager to gain what truths we can give them.

This is the essence of FB. This is the creed presented in an entertaining and light-hearted structure that all ages enjoy. A time of music, testimony, fellowship and strong message relative to family life, is what we strive to achieve.

In Christ,

Jamey Sampley

Founder of FBIM