For this reason, to seek wealth or to rely on it, to pursue honors or elevated dignity, or to elevate one's position through fashion, education or office holding is to be avoided. Church districts are small so that services can be accommodated in a member's farm home or barn. To prepare for services, a lot of hard work is done to clean the area, move furniture and fixtures polish stoves, paint walls and fences, even open areas by removing walls. On the Saturday before service , the women in the Gemeide get together to bake bread, pies and provide coffee and foods of all kinds. The concept of home and family are very strong in Amish communities.
Amish families are notoriously stable.
Families have lots of children, who learn the value of hard work, cooperation and community at an early age. Homemaking has not been made easy by the advent of electricity, and Amish women who have a family do not work outside the home. Age bestows increased social status, and Grandparents move into the Grossdawdy house located on the farm. Thus, all generations live together on the farm. The Amish economy is agrarian.