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

1-2 Think Getting on Base …

1-3 First, the Pitch … Build the NEED Clarify the need for churches to equip parents for discipleship.

1-4 First Base … Build the NEED BUILD a relationship of trust Train ministry leaders to develop relationships, not only with children and youth, but also parents.

1-5 Second Base … Build the NEED BUILD a relationship of trust FOCUS on truth Focus the relationships around Biblical truth.

1-6 Third Base … SHARE the responsibility Build the NEED BUILD a relationship of trust FOCUS on truth Build team cooperation between church and home to disciple children and youth.

1-7 Home Plate … Transfer it HOME! SHARE the responsibility 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 S Parents Want Help!

1-9 Searching & Urgent Questions Five Cries of Families … 1.Understanding 2.Close family 3.Moral behavior 4.Shared faith 5.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!

1-11 … 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.

1-12 … 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.

1-13 … 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.

1-14 … 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.

1-15 … 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.

1-16 … 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

1-17 … and then they go home! What About Me? I believe I need to …

1-18 First Base … 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 S Relationship Building

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

1-21 Fifty-two ways to impact families … Now that you ’ re warmed up …    What is one idea you can do … this week?

1-22 Set a Time Get Your Bible Gather the Family Read the Passage Pray How to have Family Devotions

1-23 Second Base … 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 S Focus on Evangelism

1-25 God John 3:16 Trust Acts 16:31 Cross Romans 5:8 Man Romans 3:23; 6:23 … the gospel changes lives.

1-26 Third Base … SHARE the responsibility Build the NEED BUILD a relationship of trust FOCUS on truth Build team cooperation between church and home to disciple children and youth.

1-27 Letters to friends …

1-28 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 S Building Strong Families

1-30 Search the Scripture 1 Samuel 1:1-28 Read 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.

1-31 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.

1-32 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.

1-33 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.

1-34 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.

1-35 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.

1-36 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.

1-37 Healthy Families Exhibit Commitment Appreciation Effective Communication Time Spent Together Spiritual Health Ability to Cope with Crisis & Stress

1-38 Let’s Pray In groups of two, pray briefly for a family you know that needs to be strengthened in one of these areas.

1-39 Home Plate … Transfer it HOME! SHARE the responsibility 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 S Format for a Family Evening

1-41 A Simple Plan for a Family Evening Pray Play Eat Learn Care

1-42 Opening Prayer Let’s practice a Family Evening at Home. Assign someone to open our family home time in prayer.

1-43 Play (game time) Play the A to Z game … without the electronic baby sitter (pgs. 55, 56)

1-44 Eat (council time) A time of application, motivation and commitment. Mealtime (page 55) Like ‘Council Time’ only it’s family!

1-45 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!

1-46 Closing Prayer (care)

1-47 Questions to Implement How will you do this?