S H E P H E R D I N G P A R E N T SStepping Up to the Plate

…Stepping Up to the Plate

…

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Think Getting on Base …

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First, the Pitch …

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

Clarify the need for churches to equip parents for discipleship.

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First Base …

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

BUILD a

relationship of trust

Train ministry leaders to develop relationships, not only with children and youth, but also parents.

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Second Base …

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

BUILD a

relationship of trust

FOCUS on truth

Focus the relationships around Biblical truth.

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Third Base …

SHARE the

responsibility

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

BUILD a

relationship of trust

FOCUS on truth

Build team cooperation between church and home to disciple children and youth.

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Home Plate …

Transfer it

HOME!

SHARE the

responsibility

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

BUILD a

relationship of trust

FOCUS on truth

Transfer the responsibility for spiritual training of children to the home.

S H E P H E R D I N G P A R E N T SParents Want Help!Parents Want Help!

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Searching & Urgent Questions

Five Cries of Families …1. Understanding2. Close family3. Moral behavior4. Shared faith5. Outside help

S H E P H E R D I N G P A R E N T S… and then they go

home!… and then they go

home!

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… and then they go home!

• Please discuss the two questions on page 8 in your small group.

• Person with the most relatives living with you is the leader.

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… and then they go home!

Model“The rule of thumb we have arrived at is that

parents are well advised to maximize their influence while the child is young.

The older a child gets, the more distracted and vulnerable he or she becomes to non-

family influences.”George Barna,

Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, p. 58.

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… and then they go home!

Teach“Most teenagers and their parents may not

realize it, but a lot of research in the sociology of religion suggests that the most important social influence in shaping young people’s religious lives is the religious life

modeled and taught to them by their parents.”

Christian Smith, Soul Searching, p. 56.

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… and then they go home!

Talk“Ninety-one percent of the teens surveyed

for the Gallup “Cries of Teens” Survey reported a ‘very strong’ or ‘strong’ need to

be listened to. The poll findings affirm that all teenagers, male and female, want their views to be

considered and want to be taken seriously.”Tim Smith,

Seven Cries of Today’s Teens, p. 135.

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… and then they go home!

Write and Bind“One of the most apparent demonstrations

of the spiritual nature is participation in religious traditions and rituals …

for our strong families, tradition and ritual are outward expressions of a deeper

commitment.”

Nick Stinnett and John DeFrain,Secrets of Strong Families, p. 112.

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… and then they go home!

Support“Nearly 3 in 10 parents surveyed (29%) report no support from any source other than their spouse or partner — not even

from extended family. Nearly 60% have only one source of support

other than their spouse or partner.” Parenting Matters,

Search Institute

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… and then they go home!

What About Me?I believe I need to …

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First Base …

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

BUILD a

relationship of trust

Train ministry leaders to develop relationships, not only with children and youth, but also parents.

S H E P H E R D I N G P A R E N T SRelationship BuildingRelationship Building

S H E P H E R D I N G P A R E N T SMinistering to FamiliesMinistering to Families

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Fifty-two ways to impact families …

Now that you’re warmed up …

What is one idea you can do …this week?

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•Set a Time•Get Your Bible•Gather the Family•Read the Passage•Pray

How to have Family Devotions

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Second Base …

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

BUILD a

relationship of trust

FOCUS on truth

Focus the relationships around Biblical truth.

S H E P H E R D I N G P A R E N T SFocus on EvangelismFocus on Evangelism

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GodJohn 3:16

TrustActs

16:31

CrossRomans

5:8

ManRomans 3:23;

6:23

… the gospel changes lives.

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Third Base …

SHARE the

responsibility

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

BUILD a

relationship of trust

FOCUS on truth

Build team cooperation between church and home to disciple children and youth.

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Letters to friends …

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Mentoring types …

Intensive• Discipler• Guide• Coach

Occasional• Counselor• Teacher• Sponsor

Passive• Contemporary• Historical

S H E P H E R D I N G P A R E N T SBuilding Strong FamiliesBuilding Strong Families

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Search the Scripture

1 Samuel 1:1-28Read thru this passage and identify elements that you think illustrate the six points of a healthy family.You might also look at unhealthy elements and state how a healthy family would act.

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Commitment

Unhealthy

Healthy

Commitments are doubted or broken, and family members are discouraged.

Commitments to Christ and each other are recognized, and traditions facilitate discipleship.

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Appreciation

Unhealthy

Healthy

Show little appreciation for other family members, instead tears them down with words – or silence.

Appreciation is openly expressed, received and graciously returned.

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Communication

Unhealthy

Healthy

Communication is infrequent, strained or harsh. Understanding is not nurtured, nor are feelings.

Communication is promoted, and feedback fosters better understanding and health.

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Time Together

Unhealthy

Healthy

Time management is always a struggle. Family members seem disjointed and pushed.

Provision is made for special and normal time spent around common values of home and heart.

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Spiritual Wellness

Unhealthy

Healthy

Spiritual growth is absent, neglected or avoided. Family members are not unified, often confused and sometimes angry.

There is a strong overflow of Christian virtue which comes from a dynamic faith in Christ and each other.

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Coping with Crisis & Stress

Unhealthy

Healthy

Small stressors can derail the home because there has been consistent lack of building up one another and strengthening relationships.

The ability to cope with difficult times is developed by conflict resolution during normal times.

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Healthy Families Exhibit

CommitmentAppreciation

Effective CommunicationTime Spent Together

Spiritual HealthAbility to Cope with Crisis &

Stress

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Let’s Pray

In groups of two, pray briefly for a family you know that

needs to be strengthened in one of these areas.

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Home Plate …

Transfer it

HOME!

SHARE the

responsibility

Build the NEED

Build the NEED

BUILD a

relationship of trust

FOCUS on truth

Transfer the responsibility for spiritual training of children to the home.

S H E P H E R D I N G P A R E N T SFormat for a Family

EveningFormat for a Family

Evening

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A Simple Plan for a Family Evening

• Pray• Play• Eat• Learn• Care

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Opening Prayer

• Let’s practice a Family Evening at Home.

• Assign someone to open our family home time in prayer.

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Play (game time)

• Play the A to Z game

• … without the electronic baby sitter (pgs. 55, 56)

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Eat (council time)

• A time of application, motivation and commitment.

• Mealtime (page 55)• Like ‘Council Time’

only it’s family!

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Learn (handbook time)

1. Review the material on page 53 of your workbook, and have a lesson on “How to Do a Family Evening at Home.”

2. OR take a lesson from your workbook at which you have not had a chance to look.

3. Better yet, let’s memorize a verse together!

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Closing Prayer (care)

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Questions to Implement

• How will you do this?