EMAIL 1
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Subject Line: Finding Rest
Dear Parents,
In the frantic pace of our daily lives, it’s too easy for us all to get caught up in an unhealthy pattern where we sacrifice so many things that can lead us to a fulfilling life. Can you relate? My guess is the busy schedules that run your life leave little time for true rest, reflection, and time to connect with those you love the most. If we want to live our lives in a way that doesn’t lead us to exhaustion, we need to figure out how to better prioritize things that will foster a healthier pace of life.
This month’s Online Parenting Class highlights the importance of slowing down and drawing inspiration from Scripture and the teachings of Jesus. It encourages you to make intentional choices that lay the foundations of building healthy rhythms for you and teaching your kids to do the same. The practical suggestions, such as prioritizing family dinners and scheduling downtime, will provide you with tangible ways to create a more fulfilling and purposeful family life.
It’s worth taking the time to reflect on how we can incorporate these principles into our lives. We encourage you to embrace a pace of life that allows your family to truly connect, recharge, and live the life you were made for.
To watch this month’s Online Parenting Class video, click the link below.
[ INSERT LINK TO ONLINE PARENTING CLASS VIDEO ]
You can do this! We are always here for you if you need us.
Cheering you on,
[INSERT LEADER’S SIGNATURE HERE]
EMAIL 2
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Subject Line: Slowing it All Down
Dear Parents,
As we all seek to navigate the chaos of life, we quickly get reeled into a pace that is unsustainable. We sacrifice crucial aspects of well-being for the allure of constant busyness. We struggle to slow down and turn it all off, fearing we might miss something or get left behind in some way. It’s a real struggle.
We know that slowing down is really important. It gives us the opportunity to rest and reflect, foster meaningful connections, and embrace a healthier pace for our family. This month’s parent resources offer some valuable suggestions and encourage us to adopt a different mindset. When we make the decision to take a step back, recharge, and cultivate a deeper connection with each other and with God, we begin to live in the way we were created to live.
Take a few moments to check out this month’s Online Parenting Class if you haven’t already. Maybe share it with a friend. Read this month’s blog article titled “The Gift of January.” Carve out some time to go through the Toolbox Resource, A Family Guide to Building Rest, which is designed to provide you with some practical steps to take over the course of four weeks to begin building habits and laying a foundation for developing a healthier pace that can help you to live in the way rest that God intends for you to live. These resources speak to the challenges many of us face in the fast-paced world. It’s an invitation to reconsider our priorities, create intentional moments of connection, and lead our families in a way that aligns with our faith.
To read the blog article or watch the video, click on the links below.
[ INSERT LINK TO M2P PARENTING BLOG ARTICLE ]
[ INSERT LINK TO M2P ONLINE PARENTING CLASS VIDEO ]
We are in this together! Let us know if there is ever anything we can do for you or your family.
Praying for you as you lead at home,
[INSERT LEADER’S SIGNATURE HERE]
M2P January KIDS Parent Video Script
In the speed and chaos of today’s modern life, it’s easy for families to get caught up in what can quickly become a relentless pace. We often sacrifice rest, quality time, meaningful connections, and an overall healthy mentality for a faux excitement that comes from doing something all the time … from “being busy.” You know how it goes. We have to get up each day. We have to get dressed, pack lunches, and head out the door to work and school. There are appointments and practices and homework and meetings. Sometime late afternoon or early evening, we get home, unless we have something that night, but eventually, we have to eat, bathe, and do homework, and finally, we lie down to hope to fall asleep … only to get up the next day and do it all over again. And we wait for our weekends, which actually are full of practices or games or rehearsals and church and so much stuff. It can all be kind of crazy.
As Christian parents, deep down, we know this isn’t the way it should be. We know that there are encouragements from Scripture to prioritize a healthier pace of living, one that echoes the biblical principles of rest, reflection, and a focus on our family. In Genesis 2:2-3, God Himself rested on the seventh day after the creation of the world, setting a precedent for rest and rejuvenation. By figuring out how to take time to slow down in your life, you can model the same rhythm that God demonstrated, and you can create an environment where your family can find a semblance of peace and renewal. In Psalm 46:10, the Psalmist implores us to “Be still, and know that I am God,” emphasizing the importance of quiet reflection and communion with our creator. Slowing down allows families to cultivate a deeper sense of awareness, fostering a deeper connection with each other and with God.
Moreover, in Mark 6:31, Jesus encourages His disciples to “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” This call to retreat and recharge is a reminder that even in the midst of life and responsibilities, taking a step back is crucial.
Hopefully, you can see that developing a slower pace for your family can allow for some real bonding and spiritual nourishment. In Ephesians 5:15-16, Paul advises believers to be wise in how they use their time, urging them to make the most of every opportunity. Slowing down enables you and your family to seize these opportunities, savoring the precious moments that can contribute to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
I have a few practical suggestions for you:
First, I would suggest you make family dinners at home a priority. You may ask, “What does this have to do with slowing down and resting?” and I would argue it does. Making time to connect over a meal gives us all a type of soul rest that can slow us down. If we’re all eating at different times and on the go, it plays into the frantic pace of life, and we miss out on practical opportunities to turn it all off and, tune it all out and just be together. In seasons of life where our kids were busy with sports, church, or other things, we would often eat dinner together at 8:30 or 9 just to ensure we had that time to stop, eat, and connect. I’m convinced that making those family dinners a priority did a lot of things for us as a family, and I’m so glad we did.
Next, schedule family downtime. Often, when we have a free night or a free weekend, we might feel as if we need to plug something into that spot and get something done. You don’t. In fact, you likely not only need the rest, but you might need the opportunity to reconnect with your family. Now, when you have this downtime, you’ll have to work to NOT let everyone, and I do mean everyone, retreat to their devices and/or their rooms for their own personal time alone. Our devices make it so easy to isolate ourselves and somehow think it’s good, healthy time away from the chaos, but, in reality, we just get reeled into a different kind of chaos as we scroll, watch, or mindlessly play. Create a culture in your home where there are times of rest when the family is all together, having good and meaningful conversations and building your relationships. This will give everyone another type of soul rest that matters to our well-being.
Finally, figure out ways to regularly; I would argue daily, stop, and reflect on God. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Himself demonstrates the importance of rest and retreat. In Matthew 11:28-30, He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” As parents, taking time to focus on God and embrace a healthier pace allows us to lead by example, showing our children the value of finding rest and refuge in Christ. In doing so, we cultivate a family environment that is grounded in faith, love, and a shared commitment to prioritizing what truly matters.
So, don’t let you and your family move so fast that you are in danger of crashing and burning. Pay attention to how the frantic pace of life your kids might be in is impacting them. Recognize the need we all have to move through life, having a healthier pace, and do what you can to make sure your family makes decisions that will lead you to the life you were made for and really want to live.