The goal of this book is to raise the consciousness of the state of being of the institutional church, and the importance of mobilizing the Christian church as a family preparation center for daily Christian living. For the African-American church, this means that the social and spiritual welfare of the congregation must be open for change. Serious attention needs to be given to providing adequate teaching and training on survival skills as well as spiritual empowerment. It is my desire that this book will aid all churches on how to have a dynamic, productive ministry beyond morning worship. The research in this book is not a model for African-American churches only, nor is it the norm for all churches in general. The book is in no way a thesis on all the problems and answers that the church must address in the 21st century, but it does offer some thought provoking ideas and some realities that we as a Christian community must confront and address.