January 3rd, 2012
Parenting is filled with joys and challenges. One author says it is akin to “having your heart go walking around outside your body.” And it really doesn’t get easier with age!
The following list is not meant to be thorough. It offers practical ways we all can improve as parents. Consider incorporating a few ideas into your parenting this month. (There’s one for each day in January if you’re up for a challenge!)
In random order:
1. Pray for your child in her presence at the start and close of each day. Keep it brief, but put thought into what you say.
2. Tell your child on a regular basis that you love him.
3. Hug your child often.
4. Spend at least 30 minutes of one-on-one time with your child each week. Turn off your cell phone and focus on him.
5. Tell her you’re proud of her. Be specific why.
6. Surprise your child with a small gift that you know he’d appreciate.
7. Read the Bible or a devotional lesson together at least weekly – even if your child is a teen.
8. Play a board or card game with your child.
9. Take out your child for breakfast or lunch at least monthly.
10. Take off work early to cheer him on at an after-school activity.
11. Give your child an encouraging card, e-card or email message.
12. Leave an inspirational quote on your child’s pillow before her bedtime.
13. Learn a Bible verse or passage together.
14. Praise your child in front of his teachers or peers.
15. Make a dinner of his choice with him.
16. Serve with your child somewhere in your community – such as a nursing home, homeless shelter or hospital.
17. Ask your child to forgive you for something you did to her recently, such as losing your temper.
18. Pray for your child for five minutes every day.
19. Pray regularly that God would grow you as a parent.
20. Join your child in a random act of kindness for a neighbor.
21. Play catch with him.
22. Rent a funny movie, pop popcorn and laugh hysterically together.
23. Help your child with homework. Commit to being very patient!
24. Hold a family faith night. Do a fun activity, read a Bible passage and pray together.
25. Prioritize healthy eating and exercise habits for your whole family. Reward your kids when they achieve milestones.
26. Plan a fun weekend or day trip away for the two of you.
27. Take lots of pictures of your child and your family.
28. Devote yourself to only disciplining your child in love. This may mean delaying discipline for a few minutes while you collect your emotions and pray.
29. Put a picture of her in your wallet or purse. Look at it and thank God for something about her daily.
30. Celebrate your child’s successes with enthusiasm.
31. Be the first one to encourage your child when she experiences pain or failure.
Question: What would you add to the list?
Posted in Celebrating Family, Family Time, Parenting | No Comments »
December 1st, 2011
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11
Does the Christmas season bring thoughts of silent nights and joy to the world into your home? Or do you struggle to deck the halls and hope in your haste that Grandma didn’t get run over by a reindeer?
It’s a busy—and sometimes stressful—time of year, but we must not miss the true spirit of the season – or fail to convey that true spirit to our kids. How can you prepare your children—and yourself—to grasp and appreciate the true meaning of this holiday season?
“Away in a Manger”: focus on the miracle of Christ’s birth
- Read the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-20. Use a nativity set to make the story come alive to younger children. Locate Bethlehem on a map. Act out the story and have each family member play a part.
- Prepare a birthday party for Jesus. Bake a cake and honor Him whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. Encourage guests to bring a gift for Jesus—perhaps something for a friend or neighbor in need.
- Place an empty “manger” in your home. Throughout the Christmas season, when someone performs a kind act for another family member, he or she gets to put some straw in the manger. Before the Christmas story is read on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, lay the baby Jesus figure on top of the straw bed.
“Silent Night”: take time to reflect on the wonder of the season
- Go to church on Christmas Eve . Make this a treasured family tradition.
- Use Christmas cards you receive for family devotions. At dinner during the Christmas season, pray for each of the families who sent cards from that day.
- Teach your kids about the symbols of the season. Some ideas:
Wreaths: show God’s love never ends like a circle
Holly: the sharp green leaves remind us of Christ’s crown of thorns and the red berries of the blood He shed for us
Candles and lights: signs of hope that show us Christ is the light of the world
Angels: the heavenly host that filled the skies the night Jesus was born
Stars: the star guided the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus
Evergreen: symbol of life
Candy cane: a tasty tradition with rich symbolism and a well-known legend
“Deck the Halls”: make your home festive and inviting during the holidays
- Decorate your home with a Christmas tree, nativity set and stockings. Hang a stocking for Jesus, too, and ask each family member to write what gifts they’d like to give to Jesus (patience with a sister, a grateful heart, etc.) Place the papers in the stocking. On Christmas morning, share your gifts to Jesus with each other and pray together.
- Teach about the symbolism of all the lights surrounding Christmas. Read Bible verses describing Jesus as light, like John 8:12, John 9:5, John 12:46, 1 Peter 2:9 and 1 John 1:5,7. Discuss what life would be like if we didn’t have the light of Christ. Light candles throughout the season. Drive around town and look at the outdoor Christmas light displays.
- Invest in relationships this season. Don’t neglect the important people in your life because your to-do list is a mile long. Invite your friends and neighbors to a holiday open house. Keep it simple. Ask guests to bring canned goods for the local food pantry or a new toy for needy children.
“The 12 Days of Christmas”: give meaningful gifts
- Don’t just buy something so you can cross that person off your list. One mom gives her children three gifts in an attempt to simplify and teach a lesson on contentment. She reminds her kids that the Christ child received three gifts—gold, frankincense and myrrh—and so each year that is the same number they receive.
- Make a Christmas “thanks list” instead of a Christmas “wish list” with your kids. Name 10 things for which you are thankful—gifts that God has already given you. Post your list in a place to remind you of all that you’ve received and to help foster a spirit of gratitude this season.
- Teach your children the joy of giving. Encourage them to buy or make gifts for each family member. Recognize their excitement in receiving gifts, but show them the real joy that comes from giving.
“Joy to the World”: share your faith through loving acts of service
- Go caroling in the neighborhood and spread God’s love through music to your friends and neighbors.
- Visit a nursing home and share the message of Christmas with the elderly.
- Stock a food pantry in your community. If possible, help distribute meals as a family.
- Adopt a needy child or family through your community or church outreach ministry. Provide for any physical needs they might have as best you can and pray for their salvation and spiritual growth throughout the upcoming year.
- Invite a non-churched family to join you for Christmas service. Take a bold step of faith and be aware of people’s increased receptivity to spiritual matters during the Christmas season.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
November 1st, 2011
For many of us, Thanksgiving is a day to gather with family, eat delicious food and watch lots of football.
Hopefully, it’s also a day to pause and think about God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives. How has He blessed your family this year?
The following hands-on ideas will help you and your family focus on gratitude in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving Day:
1. Start a family gratitude journal. Encourage each family member to record one thing each day they’re grateful to God for in their life. Use this journal template for November to get you started.
2. Decorate a Thanksgiving tablecloth. Buy a fabric or plastic tablecloth and use it on Thanksgiving Day. Set out fabric markers. Ask family and friends to write or draw something they are thankful for this year. Bring out the tablecloth each year at Thanksgiving time so family members can keep adding to it.
3. Awana parenting blogger Linda Weddle suggests making a Thanksgiving chain:
“You know those paper chains kids make by looping construction paper strips around each other to form links? Give each of your Thanksgiving guests several strips and a marker. Ask them to write something they’re thankful for on each strip.
“Later, have your kids make a chain from the strips. Hang it up in your house as your very first Christmas decoration of the year. That way all those things you’re thankful for won’t be forgotten – at least for a month or so. You could choose to make the strips from red and green paper or blue and white paper to make the resulting chain more Christmas oriented. You could also add some glitter to the strips.”
4. Read the story of the 10 lepers in Luke 17:11-19. Ask your children how they would have reacted if Jesus had healed them.
5. Pray at meal time and thank God for His provisions. Ask a different family member to pray each meal so everyone feels comfortable praying aloud.
6. Try this meaningful hands-on activity with your kids: Thanks and Giving Trees. The mommy blogger who created it explains the best way to use it:
“I print off two bare trees for each child. Every evening starting November 1, we put one leaf on each tree. On one leaf, we write something we are grateful for and stick it on the Thanks Tree. On another leaf, we write something we have done to serve or give to others and place it on our Giving Tree. Serving can be as simple as smiling at someone, singing a song to a crying baby, sharing a toy or writing a letter to Grandma.”
7. Memorize a Bible verse about thankfulness. Try Psalm 105:1, Psalm 107:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Colossians 2:6-7 or James 1:17.
8. Read a children’s book by Awana President/CEO Jack Eggar, Sparky Shines His Light. The book teaches kids the importance of gratitude.
A Thanksgiving psalm:
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
5 For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100)
Have a Happy Thanksgiving with your family!
Posted in Family Time, Gratitude, Thanksgiving | 1 Comment »
October 1st, 2011
“Mom, it’s Emily’s turn to feed the dog!”
“I don’t want to take out the garbage.”
“Why do I have to help Julie get her shoes on?”
Have you ever heard statements like these in your house?
Teaching our kids why it’s important to serve others is a challenging task for us as parents. We are born with a selfish nature. Our inward focus on ourselves often prohibits us from seeing the needs of others.
But God’s plan is different. He sent His Son to teach us a new way: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)
So how can our kids become more like Jesus and begin to serve others? Perhaps these ideas will provide some helpful next steps:
Serve in the home
- Model a servant’s spirit to your kids. If they see you complaining or grumbling about serving a family member or friend, what lesson will they learn?
- Daily chores provide ongoing service opportunities for your kids. Things like setting the table and emptying the dishwasher are small acts of service that make a difference in family life.
- Challenge your kids to show random acts of kindness to their siblings without being asked. Praise them when you catch them in the act!
Serve at your church
- Volunteer to serve as a family in your church in the nursery or as greeters. If you’re a musical family, offer to sing or play an instrument during a weekend service.
- Bring a meal to a new mom in your church or someone just home from the hospital. Read Galatians 6:10 and talk about what it means to serve others in need.
- If your kids are old enough and have trusted Christ for salvation, teach them about spiritual gifts. Explain how they can use their gifts to build the body of Christ. Read Bible verses about spiritual gifts.
Serve the community
- Participate in community-wide food drives. Collect food and help stock food pantry shelves.
- If a family member has recently battled an illness or disease, encourage your child to raise money for research or other fundraising activities.
- Reach out to neighbors. Rake leaves, make cookies, invite them to your church or Awana ministry or have them over for dinner. Make sure the kids play a big part in this outreach.
- Take your children with you to a nursing home. Bring pictures or cards or other small gifts to share with residents.
Serve the world
- God commands that we show compassion and care to those in need. World Vision has a helpful list of verses to read together as a family.
- Participate in your Awana ministry to reach kids around the world through Adopt-a-Club.
- Sponsor an international child through a child advocacy agency like Compassion. Pray for your sponsored child every night at dinnertime. Send notes of encouragement. Challenge your children to raise money for their overseas friend.
Additional Bible verses on serving:
Deuteronomy 10:12
Joshua 22:5
Joshua 24:15
Matthew 20:26-28
Romans 12:11
Ephesians 4:12
Ephesians 6:7
Philippians 2:5-11
Colossians 3:23-24
Posted in Church, Discipleship, Family Devotions, Family Time, Loving God, Parenting, Serving | 2 Comments »
August 30th, 2011
How you and your church can help your child grow spiritually this school year
Have you ever visited a construction site and watched workers lay a foundation? It’s the most critical step in building a house. The concrete provides a secure and stable foundation for the home to be built above.
Did you know that as a parent, you, too, are a builder? You are laying a spiritual foundation in your kids’ lives that will last forever.
Here’s the great news: your church is ready to partner with you in the spiritual development of your children. You don’t have to build alone!
If you’re ready to strengthen your kids’ faith foundation, here are a few ideas that will help:
1. Connect with a church
This one seems obvious, but it’s a great place to start in building a biblical foundation.
- Attend and participate in a local, Bible-believing church.
- Make church a nonnegotiable priority in your family’s weekly schedule.
- Talk about what each family member is learning at church.
- Encourage Christian friendships—both in your kids’ lives and your own.
- Get to know your pastor and learn about the ministries your church offers.
2. Get your kids to Awana
What is Awana?
If you want to learn more about the Awana ministry, discover what Awana is about. Awana helps churches and parents partner together to raise spiritually strong children and youth with a lifelong faith in Jesus Christ. Weekly programs for ages 2 to 18 are tailored to each age group.
How can I find Awana?
If you’re looking for Awana in your area, visit the Awana locator. After you enter your ZIP code or city, you’ll receive a list of churches near you that offer Awana.
How can I help my child get the most out of Awana?
One of the chief goals of Awana curriculum is to give children a biblical foundation for faith in Christ. Awana offers tools to equip your kids to learn God’s Word, though the best resource is a consistent routine where your child and you work on Awana lessons together.
To help your child memorize Bible verses, you can get a handbook music CD. These CDs put verses to song so your child can learn verses more easily through catchy tunes. We also offer parent handbooks that allow you to study the same lessons your kids are learning in Awana. These books give you insights and ideas for teaching these Bible truths to your children.
3. Disciple your kids at home using Awana at Home
Churches nationwide equip parents with vision and ministry skills to lead their children spiritually through Awana at Home®. Our family ministry provides tools and encouragement for parents to step confidently into their God-given role. (See Deuteronomy 6.) At-home versions of Game Time, Handbook Time and Bible (Large Group) Time present exciting ways for parents to instill spiritual truths in their kids.
4. Serve together
Teaching your kids to serve others is another faith builder that can be especially powerful when done as a family. Serving together in your church allows your child to use his spiritual gifts to serve God both now and in the future.
Here are some service ideas in your church and community:
- Visit a nursing home and encourage the elderly.
- Serve as greeters during weekend church services.
- If you’re a musical family, offer to sing or play instruments for a church service.
- Serve during special holiday outreaches or projects at your church.
- If your children are older, invite them to serve as Leaders-in-Training (LITs) in your church’s younger-age Awana programs.
- Stock a food pantry in your community. If possible, help distribute meals as a family.
- Adopt a needy child or family through your community or church outreach ministry. Provide for any physical needs they have as best you can. Pray for their salvation and spiritual growth throughout the year.
Posted in Awana, Church, Discipleship, Family Devotions, Parenting, Serving, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
August 1st, 2011
The lazy days of summer are coming to an end. Notebooks, pencils and textbooks will replace the fun of water balloons, hopscotch and sprinklers.
As you help your kids get ready to learn this school year, here are some important life lessons you can teach them all year long:
In the classroom
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)
What will you teach your child to think or do if …
- your son’s science teacher encourages students to believe in evolution?
- your daughter’s middle-school health textbook promotes safe sex?
- Jesus is taught as being just a good man in a social studies unit on world religions?
In the hallways
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
- Encourage your child to shine God’s love to others in the hallways, during recess, in the classroom and at lunch.
- Teach your daughter how to share her faith.
- Reach out to non-churched families in your neighborhood and school. Invite them to Awana or a church service.
On the bus
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10)
Riding the bus to and from school may provide challenges for your child. (Even if your child doesn’t take the bus to school, she may face similar pressures during recess, on a sports team or if she carpools to school.) Peer pressure begins when words your daughter has not heard or jokes your son doesn’t want to laugh at force your child to make choices.
Dennis and Barbara Rainey offer insight for this issue in their book Parenting Today’s Adolescent: Helping Your Child Avoid the Traps of the Preteen and Teen Years. “The ability to stand against negative peer pressure will be used by God to embed convictions, courage and a stand-alone faith,” the Raineys write, “that will help your child become a difference maker for good in our culture.”
From a practical standpoint …
- Encourage your child to sit with a friend on the bus each day so he feels less isolated and vulnerable.
- The back of the bus tends to provide the setting for the worst behavior, so asking your child and friend to sit near the front may help, too.
- Pray each morning and afternoon for your child’s bus rides. Ask God to protect your child from harm and to give your child the strength to stand firm in the faith.
After school
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)
- Discover activities your child enjoys and encourage participation. Music, sports, art or service projects build confidence and self-esteem.
- Build discipline into your child’s life through strong homework habits. Talk to your child about how he can glorify God through his attitude toward schoolwork and the dedication he gives to his studies.
- Limit media consumption. Establish media boundaries.
At church
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
- Talk about the church service each week. Ask your child what she learned and share what challenged you. Discuss faith issues on the ride home and throughout everyday life.
- Get to know the children’s pastor or youth pastor at your church and demonstrate support.
- Encourage your child to develop friendships with other Christian kids at church. Invite kids over for play dates and set up activities for them to get to know each other and build relational ties.
- Involve your children and teens in the church so that they feel needed and valued. Are there places where they could serve, like Sunday school, Awana, the music team or maintenance and grounds?
- Sign up your kids for Awana or find a program in your area. Many churches around the country offer programs for children and youth ages 2 to 18.
May this school year be filled with many blessings for you and your family!
Posted in Parenting, School | 1 Comment »
July 1st, 2011
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 describes the intentional role parents play in impressing God’s Word upon the hearts of their children. Sometimes the best spiritual training happens in the everyday moments with your kids.
Teaching your children about God doesn’t just happen at church each week. but in the day-to-day life you encounter as a family as you sit at home, walk along the road, lie down and get up.
Sit at home: Grow
Set some spiritual goals this summer with your family. Discuss how each family member can grow closer to God. Consider these ideas:
- Choose a family theme verse and memorize it. TruthScripts offers resources and rewards to get you started.
- Study one Bible character from both the Old and New Testaments.
- Pick three traits of God’s character to study.
- Start a Bible reading routine.
Walk along the road: Talk
You may not walk along many roads, but car travel can be significant time with your kids. Use car time and areas in your community to talk and to discuss spiritual issues as a family:
- Value car time as a chance to talk with your kids and build your relationship. Ask good questions.
- Make God’s Word come alive as you visit different areas in your community. Author and veteran youth leader Wayne Rice recommends devotions on location. He states in his book Generation to Generation: “Teaching children about God shouldn’t be reserved for one particular time and place each week, but for whenever you have the opportunity. For example, go to a garden (Jesus often prayed in a garden). Visit a pool and talk about how Jesus healed people by the pool of Bethesda in John 5. Go to the zoo and talk about Noah and his ark, or climb a tree and discuss Zacchaeus in Luke 19.
- Enjoy God’s creation and praise Him at the beach, in the mountains, near a river or in a forest.
Lie down: Pray
When you tuck in your kids at bedtime, pray together.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Give your children people and things to pray for. Suggest that they pray for hurting or lonely people in your church. Praying for others will develop empathy and a servant’s heart in your kids.
- Help your kids start a journal. Journaling is a good way for kids to keep their attention during prayer. It’s also a helpful resource to look back to months or years down the road to remember how God answered prayer.
- Place a prayer jar in your kitchen. Ask family members to write prayers and leave them in the jar. Pray for the requests each night.
- Pray for your kids and ask God to instill these 31 biblical virtues into their lives and use these prayers, too.
Get up: Serve
With kids out of school, take advantage of the time off to serve as a family.
- If you have older kids, volunteer at your church’s Vacation Bible School.
- Visit a nursing home and encourage the elderly.
- Collect food items from your neighbors for your community’s food pantry.
- Prepare a few care packages to keep in your car so they’re available if you encounter a homeless person or others in need. Packages can include basic toiletry and food items and a Bible.
Posted in Discipleship, Family Devotions | 1 Comment »
May 31st, 2011
The lazy days of summer are a welcome reprieve after a long winter—at least for many of us in cold regions of the country!
Enjoy the slower pace of the season, but don’t get lax with your kids’ spiritual growth.
Here are a few ideas to keep your children and teens growing in their relationship with Christ this summer.
Make church attendance a priority
Sunny, beautiful Sunday mornings might draw your family to the beach or a park, but enjoy that after church. Keep your kids—and yourself—connected to your church over the summer months. This accountability and fellowship is critical for you and your children as you seek to grow more like Christ. It’s also a command of Scripture in Hebrews 10:25.
Register your kids for spiritually enriching camps
Take your kids to Vacation Bible School (VBS) or High-Power® Soccer camp at your church. If your church does not offer these, find a church in your community that does. Bring the neighbor kids, too!
Utilize free resources
- Review Awana handbooks with all your kids. Challenge your children to tackle the extra-credit sections of the books, too. Try these extra-credit sections that are free and online, too. Check out these memorization tips if your kids struggle with Bible memory.
Start a family night
Find time once a week to gather as a family to read the Bible, pray and memorize God’s Word. Try it outside after dinner in your backyard and enjoy God’s creation.
If you’ve never read the Bible with your kids, find a resource that makes family Bible learning easy and fun. The Awana at Home Parent Kits were created to make family night simple for any parents to lead. The kits provide audio stories from Focus on the Family’s Adventures in Odyssey™ in one kit and DVD animated segments from Phil Vischer’s JellyTelly characters in the second kit. Included are follow-up questions to ask family members, games to play and other activities you can do together.
Start a family night tradition that can continue once school starts again in the fall.
Choose family verses
Each week of summer, choose a family verse to memorize. Write the verse on a note card and post it on the fridge. Challenge each family member to memorize all the verses. Offer a prize to the person who can recite all the summer verses by Labor Day weekend.
Try the Bible memorization program TruthScripts™ as a family or encourage your pastor to use it church-wide. The free downloadable memory cards, bookmarks and certificates motivate kids and adults to keep memorizing the truths of God’s Word.
Have a wonderful summer with your family!
Posted in Discipleship, Parenting, Summer | No Comments »
May 2nd, 2011
Teens from our Awana high-school program share how their dads and moms have helped shape their faith in Christ
Have you ever wondered what your kids would say about you? If they sat around a table with other teenagers, how would they describe the role you’ve played in their spiritual development?
We recently asked high-school youth, primarily seniors, attending Summit, the annual event for Awana Journey (high-school) students, to talk about their moms and dads. We specifically asked what their parents did to build a strong faith foundation in their lives.
If we had to summarize their answers into one take-away, it would be this: Parents who actively serve as spiritual leaders of their home produce spiritually strong followers of Christ.
But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what the teens said, in their own words.
My parents lead by example
“We do family devotions every morning. My dad is always leading our family to grow closer to God.”
Daniel, 18
“Since I was a little girl, my dad has always taught Sunday school, and my mom has worked in the nursery at church. They really care for people and are involved at church. Their dedication is such an example to me.”
Emily, 18
“My parents are leaders in our church. Just seeing their excitement for God has helped to grow that in me. They support and challenge me to get involved, too. And also, they’re hilarious.”
Shawna, 18
“My dad leads by example. He is going through all the Awana handbooks and memorizing Scripture with me.”
Dylan, 17
“My parents have deep faith and live their lives for the glory of God. They are great examples to me. My dad is in the military and has a servant’s heart.”
Briana, 18
“My parents are supportive of my involvement with Awana and have helped me with verses over the years. My mom does memory verses herself, so she’s a great example to me.”
Josh, 18
“My parents show me through their example the importance of loving the people around you.”
Jessi, 18
“My parents have always served in our church, and I really did grow up in church. I helped them with whatever they were doing.”
Preston, 18
My parents support and encourage my relationship with God
“Whenever I have problems, my parents direct me to God and encourage me to pray. Only He can solve problems.”
Parker, 18
“My parents got my siblings and me involved in Awana at a young age. It’s been so helpful to my faith to be surrounded by good Christian friends and incredible leaders.”
McCaryn, 17
“My dad provided opportunities for me to serve God. I became an Awana leader after T&T, and I serve alongside my dad, who is a director.”
Tim, 17
“My parents invest in my spiritual life—literally! They helped me get to Summit and pay for me to go to summer camp, too. It encourages and builds me up to be in these environments, and my faith grows.”
William, 17
“My parents are awesome! They raised me to fear God and taught me about respect. I try to live that out.”
Lauren, 17
“My dad memorized a lot of Scripture when he was young. He loves Awana and what it’s all about and encouraged me to get involved. It’s powerful to memorize God’s Word!”
Michael, 17
“I have learned how to seek God for myself through studying the Bible and prayer. My parents have taught me that when I mess up, I can make it right.”
Noah, 18
My parents help me make my faith my own
“My faith is not my parents’ faith. I’ve made it my own, and my parents have helped me do just that.”
Shannon, 17
“Whenever I am questioning things, my parents encourage me to search for answers in the Bible and look for myself. “
Shawna, 18
“My parents show me they love me. They have helped me make my faith my own and not just take on their faith.”
Micah, 18
“My dad really takes seriously the challenge to raise his kids to serve Him. He gives me opportunities to serve. This summer, he is letting three of my friends and me run games at Vacation Bible School.”
Dylan, 17
“Even though my parents have some conflict, I’ve still learned from them. My mom has taught me to not base my worth on how other people treat me, but to focus on God and how He thinks about me.”
Alyssa, 16
“Everyone needs to personalize their own faith. My parents are always there to answer questions, and their faith is open. Their faith means something to them, and they are an example to me.”
Lizzie, 18
My parents teach me how to grow in my relationship with God
“My parents taught me the value of listening to God. When I was 7 years old, they listened to God’s call and became missionaries.”
Ruth, 18
“My mom and dad started praying with me when I was very young and they still pray with me every night before bed. I’m so grateful for my parents and for their unconditional love for me.”
Tess, 16
“My dad was in the Navy and Army and is now a commercial pilot. When I was younger, I sometimes got scared at night. He always reminded me that Jesus is right there with me. He also has a servant’s heart and loves to show kindness to others.”
Faith, 18
“I have two godly parents. They encourage me to stay in God’s Word and to go to church. My parents are there for me. My mom is my best friend.”
Abby, 17
Someday if I have children …
“I want to get stronger in my faith and be an example to my children.”
Caley, 18
“I want to teach my kids how to pray like my parents did with me.”
Parker, 18
“I will make sure we have family adventures just like I do with my family now. I have three sisters, and we are best friends. Our regular family adventures have contributed to that.”
Shawna, 18
“I want to be involved in my kids’ spiritual lives. I will encourage Scripture memory because that has really helped shape my faith in Christ.”
Brenna, 18
“I recognize the importance of talking and listening with my own parents and want to do this with my own kids someday to develop our relationship.”
Tess, 16
Posted in Parenting | No Comments »
April 4th, 2011
How Awana President/CEO and his family make sure Easter is about Jesus
The start of spring means trees budding and tulips blooming. It’s also the time of year for Good Friday and Easter.
We asked Awana President/CEO Jack Eggar and his wife, Dona, to share their Easter traditions and how parents can use Easter to teach spiritual truths to their children.
Jack and Dona are the parents of four adult children and grandparents to five grandchildren. They offer practical ideas to encourage moms, dads and grandparents to engage children in spiritual conversations around the dinner table, on the way to church and as you dye eggs. Make lifelong memories!
Many of the Eggar Easter celebrations took place in unique locations, like Korea and Fiji. As missionaries, Jack and Dona didn’t see the retail trappings of Easter.
But when they moved to California for Jack’s role as church pastor, secular traditions seemed to be the highlight for many families’ Easter celebrations.
Parent Helps: What are a few Easter traditions you shared as a family when your kids were young?
Dona: When our kids were growing up, Jack served as a pastor or missionary pastor, so we were always in church on Easter. It was a central part of our family’s Easter celebration.
The night before Easter, we had a special time dyeing eggs. We’d take crayons and write phrases and messages on the eggs, like “Jesus saves” or “Jesus loves,” and then write a family member’s name. We also drew pictures. Then we would dye them. Each child made a dozen eggs.
On Easter morning, Jack and I hid all the eggs around the house—we had a lot of eggs!
Jack: We ate a lot of them, too! Our cholesterol went up on those days!
Dona: I think it’s important to make holiday meals really special and pull out the best. I always asked our kids the one thing they’d like me to make for our meal. They knew it was a special meal and a real celebration.
I also placed a candle in front of each family member’s place at the table. One by one, each person lit the candle and shared something they were grateful for that year. Sometimes we’d hear a person’s testimony and what God was doing in his or her life. I think it’s important for Mom and Dad to take time to also share their testimony with their children.
PH: In the U.S., Easter has become a major commercial holiday. How can parents ensure Easter stays focused on Christ?
Jack: Our society turns us into consumers, and we’re controlled by that mindset. Somehow, we really need to discipline ourselves to disconnect from all the trappings.
Easter needs to remain free from all the influences that would take the heart and mind of the believer from recognizing God’s wonderful gift and the sacrifice His Son made for all of us. It’s central to our faith, and we can’t allow anything to come in and push away its significance. We can’t lose Him in all the clutter.
Dona: We taught our grandson, Daniel, about the resurrection eggs. Each egg contains a symbol related to the Easter story, and he learned the meaning of these symbols. Kids can grasp this. It’s a beautiful way to teach about Easter.
Our daughter Jessica started a tradition with her family that we’re a part of, too. She brings a lamb cake to our Easter meal. We talk about how Jesus was the Lamb of God. Parents can think of ways to tie in the Easter message throughout the day.
I think Easter baskets are fun, but make sure to always refocus the Easter celebration on Christ. Don’t let chocolate be the main thing.
We’ve given Easter storybooks to our grandchildren that explain the Easter message in words they understand.
PH: In what ways can parents best use Easter to spiritually train their children?
Jack: Be deliberate in communicating the Easter message. Redeem the time and take full advantage of holidays. Make the most of them. Out of these will come treasured memories and special family traditions that have value, significance and meaning. Holidays offer wonderful teaching moments where truth can be delivered in creative ways to children. They’ll remember these times, and it will influence their lives.
Dona: People talk about what they love. Do your kids know you love Jesus?
Posted in Easter | No Comments »
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