But when families have internal problems, they need outside support. This year, only one in three North Carolina families reported that they have someone outside the home they can count on when they have a problem they can't solve themselves. It's at that point when most families fall apart. But bringing people together into meaningful communities can be difficult. Mike Nelson, pastor of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Raleigh, thinks that sometimes the modern world conspires against strong families.
People move more frequently than they have before.
Nuclear families often lose their connection to extended kin. Companies feel less loyalty to their employees. These things, he says, make for isolated families. He's also noticed that people don't spend time developing intimate relationships. They abandon relationships when things get difficult.