We had a GREAT time the other day on the monthly M2P Member Call!
Elisabeth and Jeremy held a great discussion with M2P members about how to organize personal and professional time.
We hope you enjoy this month’s community resource.
As always, it is our pleasure to partner with you.
~The Ministry to Parents Team
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Subject Line: 2 Simple Steps to Parenting with Purpose
Dear (Insert Parent’s Name),
Do you wonder if there is more to parenting than being an event coordinator, ATM dispenser, or conflict negotiator? What is the point of parenting? Is there a point?
In less than four minutes, we give you two simple steps to help you parent your child with purpose. We believe it is possible to avoid pointless parenting.
Here is our four-minute encouragement for the month. Simply click the link below.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/381836659/c427f771e4
Cheering for you!
(Insert Leader’s Name)
Copy/Paste the following email:
Subject Line: 2 Simple Steps to Parenting with Purpose
Dear (Insert Parent’s Name),
If you missed this month’s encouragement video, here is the link:
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/381836659/c427f771e4
If you watched (or listened while running pickup and drop off), did you have a chance to write down an answer to the question, “How do I want to relate to my children in twenty years?” Were you able to come up with two or three action steps?
If so, please let me know if I can help you accomplish those steps in any way. As your (Insert your role to the child’s parent), I am here to help you. I believe in your role as the parent. I am cheering you on!
(Insert Leader’s Name)
Welcome to this month’s online parenting class! This class, we are going to give 2 simple steps to help you avoid pointless parenting.
For each person, parenting brings about different challenges. When they are babies, nighttime feedings and changing diapers can feel like chaos. Elementary years bring school schedules, grades, and peer-to-peer interactions. The teen years bring puberty, driver’s license, and academic pressure. Sometimes, we, as parents, can feel like we are in the tornado from Wizard of Oz swirling round and round with appointments, practices, assignments, and dinnertimes.
When parenting feels chaotic, sometimes we can feel there is no purpose or point. Have you ever asked the question, “What am I doing?” Today, we give you two simple steps to help you answer that question.
Step 1: Ask the question: “How do I want to relate to my children in twenty years?”
If you have time now, grab a sheet of paper and a pen. If not, spend some time later answering this question.
Picture yourself in twenty years. How old will you be? Write down your age. How old your son or daughter be? If you have more than one child, write down their ages also.
Take a few minutes and think about that season. Use your imagination. Where do you think you live? Where do you think your adult children live? Imagine seeing yourself interact with your adult children. When you do interact, how do you want it to go? Think about your heart really hopes for in regards to a relationship twenty years from now. Write that imaginative reality down on paper.
Now, what do you need to do between now and then to help accomplish that vision? Is it something you need to do one time? Every month? Every year? Is it a course correction in parenting styles? A change in the environment?
Write out 2 or 3 action steps with dates and times. Add them to your calendar, even if it six months from now.
In Proverbs 16:9, it says, “We can make our plans, but He determines our steps.” As you draw out your plan, hold on to them loosely. We can plan and prepare for what we long for, but He will determine our steps.
Step Two: Ask for Wisdom.
In Proverbs 15:22, it says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.” We do not have to figure out parenting alone- we have God’s guidance, and we have help with a community, so step two is to ask for wisdom from someone who has gone before you in the parenting role.
Find a trusted parent whose kids have grown and gone- maybe it is a teacher, coach, fellow soccer mom, or small group leader at church. Ask them for wisdom and insight on what they did or didn’t do to maintain a relationship with their kids. Ask them how they interact with their teenager or their adult son/daughter. Make mental notes and use their wisdom to adjust your action steps as needed. Your family has its’ own unique personality and dynamics, so keep that in mind!
As we close, remember the two basic steps to avoid pointless parenting.
We want to thank you for watching this month’s Online Parenting Class. Please join us for our next class on “3 Ways to Find Confidence as a Parent.”
If you enjoyed today’s video, make sure to ask your Director or Minister for previous classes. If you think another parent would benefit from this encouragement, please share what you have learned.
To parent with purpose, ask the question: How do I want to relate to my children in twenty years?
To parent with purpose, find a trusted mentor, friend, or community leader and ask for wisdom.
Proverbs 15:22 “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.” We do not have to figure out parenting alone.
Proverbs 16:9 “We can make our plans, but He determines our steps.” Plan and prepare as a parent, but hold on to them loosely.
When you plan as a parent, remember your family has its’ own unique personality and dynamics, so take others’ wisdom and adjust your action steps as needed.
What Is It?
Planning, organization, and details are all part of hosting a children’s event. This reason is why we created a quick, helpful, reusable children’s toolbox resource called “How to Organize a Children’s Ministry Event.”
How do I use it?
*Your monthly membership includes free copies and downloads for your church ministry only. Thank you!
What Is It?
Do you ever scramble at the last minute to put on music before the kids walk in for the weekly gathering? This resource solves that problem!
It is a Children’s Christmas Playlist for use over the holiday season. Save an hour or two of searching for music by merely downloading the PDF.
How do I use it?
Have a Merry Christmas!
The Ministry to Parents Team
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Subject Line: How to Care for the Soul
Dear (Insert Parent’s Name),
When you are a parent, you give, invest, and sacrifice for your family. We are so thankful for all that you invest in the lives of your children!
This month we want to take things in a little different direction and focus on you. It’s really simple. A healthy parent will lead their wild, fun, messy, (insert whatever word you need) family toward health.
This month we want to talk about your health. How are you doing? How are you caring for your soul as a parent?
Here is our coaching video for the month…
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/368984523/4801fdc3b6
Praying for you as you ask yourself these questions!
(Insert Leader’s Name)
Copy/Paste the following email:
Subject Line: How to Care for the Soul
Dear (Insert Parent’s Name),
We usually talk about ways that you can invest in the spiritual lives of your children. This month we are flipping the script and working on you. Are you caring for your soul?
If you missed this month’s coaching video, here is the link…
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/368984523/4801fdc3b6
How are you doing with soul care? We know you give and give and give all day long with your family. When is the last time you looked deeply into your soul to see how you are doing?
We heard some helpful steps to take to ensure we are caring for our souls as parents. If you are going to put any of those in motion, then you are going to have to make one first, brave step. Calendar it, and don’t apologize for blocking off time for you to take care of your soul. Things get very real when we sit down with our calendar, and we start blocking off time. We see that goal, and we have the chance to work toward that goal. When you calendar soul care, you always have the opportunity to say no to other opportunities because it’s on your calendar!
If we can help you process any of these ideas, please email me back. We are here to help, and we are cheering you on!
(Insert Leader’s Name)
Caring for Your Soul when You are Caring for Everyone Else
Welcome to this month’s online parenting class. We are so thankful for the spiritual impact you make each day in your child’s life, and it’s our joy to help you think about parenting each month. This month we are going to talk more about your soul more than the soul of your child or teenager.
Parenting well can leave us tired and sometimes overwhelmed. We know there is so much joy when it comes to our role as mom or dad, but there is also an immense amount of serving that goes into caring for our kids. Trust me, even parents of teens will tell you that it does not slow down, and the demands and problems just keep shifting. In the midst of caring for your family, how are you caring for your own soul?
Weariness is something the Bible actually talks about. We discover through different Old and New Testament writings people who are tired and actually admit it. They even admit to God how tired they are. The Psalmist writes….
Psalm 63:1 (NLT2) O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
Parenting can feel like that. It can feel like a dry land where there is no water. It can feel like we are always giving and never receiving when it comes to soul care. Our challenge this month is for you to take your soul care personally. The greatest gift you can give your teen or child is your own healthy soul.
There are some steps you can take to care for your soul that will help you parent from a healthy place for the long haul. Here are a few of them…
One last tip as we close is to give yourself as much grace as you give out to your family. I hope you are giving grace to your kids. Find the freedom to give yourself that same grace and enjoy this season. This stage is temporary, so make sure and bring your best self to the daily journey of parenting.
The greatest gift a parent can give their kids is a healthy marriage.
Give yourself as much grace as you give to your family.
God believes in you. He chooses you to be the parent of your child, so believe and be the best you can be.
As a parent, caring for your soul enables you to care for the soul of your child. Don’t just survive. Thrive.
MEMBERS ONLY ZOOM CALL- November 2019
We had a GREAT time the other day on the monthly M2P Member Call!!
Elisabeth shared three ways to make the most of downtime this holiday season, and a few members shared their ideas. We always love hearing from them!
Jeremy helped a new member get started on the M2P content. Welcome, Missy!
We hope you enjoy this month’s coaching resource. As always, it is our pleasure to partner with you.
~The Ministry to Parents Team
Copy/Paste the following email.
Dear (insert parent’s name),
Have you ever thought about how you pass on your faith to your kids? When would you do it with your packed schedule? Where would you even start!
This month we want to talk about how you, as a parent, can create discipleship moments on the go. Yes, in the middle of your already busy life, you can make a spiritual impact. Check out this month’s coaching video.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/368771014/dae5688bb7
We hope you will put some of these ideas into motion this month! Email me with any questions and know we are praying for you.
(insert leader’s name)
Copy/Paste the following email.
Subject Line: Discipleship Moments On The Go
Dear (insert parent’s name),
This month we are talking about how to create discipleship moments on the go. If you missed this month’s coaching video, take just a few minutes and watch it now.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/368771014/dae5688bb7
Those five simple ideas are all steps you can take in the normal rhythm of your life. That is the key to creating discipleship moments. You have to choose to be strategic. Most parents think their lives are too busy to be effective, but with just a little be of strategic planning, you can bring Jesus into the normal flow of life. When you choose to be strategic, you don’t try to do everything, but rather, you try to do a few things with purpose and focus.
The challenge we make to parents all the time is to imagine the end. Imagine what you want for your kids spiritually. Let that be the fuel to find discipleship moments on the go this month.
You can do this, and we are cheering you on!
(insert leader’s name)
Welcome to this month’s online parenting class! This month we are going to talk about one of our favorite topics. We are going to help you consider what it looks like to pass on your faith to your child on the go. In the middle of normal life, we give you simple things can you do to share your faith with your kids.
The idea of influencing our kids spiritually is really intimidating for most of us. We just don’t feel qualified and we live in a culture that relies on experts to teach our children. There are camps, classes, training videos, mentoring for every issue with our families and we look at the church as the expert to pass on the faith to our children but that’s not the only way God intended faith to be shared. There’s this moment in the Old Testament where a man named Moses gives some advice to God’s people…
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 (NLT) 4 “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
Moses makes it really clear. Love God with focus and passion and reveal your faith to your children as you go. Obviously Moses did not raise your child so this is a little more complicated than it sounds in 2019 but the plan is simple and it works when we make it a priority. Most of passing on our faith happens as we go through the process of normal life and as our children grow up and face more complicated situations. Moses is inviting us to bring our faith into those conversations as life happens so it’s not forced.
As a parent, here are ways to consider investing spiritually into our children as we move through life. Here are 5 moves you can make as a parent…
I am hoping that these ideas got you thinking. You can pass on your faith. God can use you to lead your child toward Jesus. We are praying for you this month as you try some of these.
TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use consistently. This practice tells Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to store a list of your tweets in one place for a later reference.
Leverage these posts this month on your social media feed for parents! We also included a few Instagram posts for you.
Influencing children spiritually will always involve the influence of parents.
We, as parents, need to encourage our kids to engage the Bible and pray more than just on Sunday.
Creating discipleship moments with kids on the go is all about creating natural moments for spiritual conversations.
Parents: love God with focus and passion and reveal your faith to your children as you go.
The idea of influencing our kids spiritually is intimidating for most of us because we don’t have a plan.
Intentional prayer gives you a chance to show your child you trust God with small things in real life.
It’s important your child knows you are praying for them and that you don’t have all the answers.
With kids, simple notes allow you to say things as reminders, and it lets them know we are thinking of them.
Laughter and fun invite moments of trust, connection, and conversation.
Don’t overcomplicate discipleship with your kids. Keep it simple and consistent.
KIDS EDITION
WHAT IS IT?
This resource includes five fun and creative games to play with your kids while ON THE BUS! Relax, laugh, and create relationships all while you travel to your next children’s event.
HOW DO I USE IT?
This resource is a PDF, so you can:
Print and prepare for your next road trip
Email to a volunteer and ask them to gather the supplies for your next ministry event
Copy/Paste the following email.
Subject Line: Defeating Loneliness as a Parent
Dear (Insert Name of Parent),
We want to help parents be as healthy as possible because emotionally and spiritually healthy moms and dads make better parents.
This month we want to address an issue many of you face daily…
Many days you are lonely.
You probably don’t know who to talk to about this. You probably feel guilty for feeling this way. We don’t have all the answers, but we hope this month’s video is refreshing to your soul.
We want you to know, we see you. Parenting can be lonely, so we created a video just for you.
Set aside five minutes for a little parenting inspiration. Click here to watch.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/360695361/901c0db57f
You are worth it.
Partnering with you,
(Insert Leader’s Name)
Copy/Paste the following email.
Subject Line: Defeating Loneliness as a Parent
Dear (Insert Parent’s Name),
This month we have been talking about an issue that many parents experience. Many of you feel isolated and lonely. If that is you, you are not alone.
Earlier in the month, we sent out an encouragement video. If you missed it, click here…
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/360695361/901c0db57f
You may watch the video and your thoughts race when it comes to loneliness. Let me encourage you with one more thought.
Good intentions will not help move you out of loneliness.
If you want to break the cycle of isolation, you have to take some relational risks and change your routine. See some wise counsel on how and what this looks like for you.
At the moment you are going to feel insecure, but I promise that when you take a wise relational risk, you are meeting a need. Ask someone to coffee, walk with a friend, join a Bible Study, or engage more with the Church community.
I am praying for you this month. If you need to talk, please reach out by email!
Partnering with you,
(Insert Leader’s Name)
Welcome to this month’s online parenting class. We are going to head in a different direction this month because we’re not going to talk much about being a better parent. This month we are going to talk to “you about you” because a healthy mom or dad is a better parent. We are going to talk about an issue that most people are afraid to talk about. The truth is that many parents feel very isolated and lonely so how do we as parents defeat loneliness.
I know we are not sitting in a coffee shop having this conversation but if we were some of you would be nodding in agreement. Parenting can be lonely and we feel guilty for even feeling it. We expect parenting preschoolers to be isolating but we think it will get better as the kids get older. In some cases, it does but in each season of parenting friendships you can really trust shift and change. Many times as parents we get so wrapped up in work, the demands of our homes, and our kids schedules that we live in a constant state of survival with little room for friendship.
You may be thinking that this is not a big deal but it is because isolation and feelings of loneliness lead us to embrace some common traps…
There is so much to gain from defeating loneliness and moving out of isolation and you are the only one that can make the change. This has nothing to do with your children or teens. You have to choose to open your life to some other meaningful relationships.
Here are a few questions to get you thinking about some steps you can take to move beyond the isolation you feel…
These are just 3 places to start. This month, go for it! If you are lonely and isolated talk about with someone you trust and take some steps out of that space!
TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use consistently. This practice tells Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to store a list of your tweets in one place for a later reference.
An emotionally and spiritually healthy mom or dad is a better parent.
Parenting can be lonely. You are not alone.
As parents, we get so wrapped up in work, the demands of our homes, and our kids schedules that we live in a constant state of survival with little room for friendship. Make room for real friendship.
Loneliness as a parent can make us lose perspective, confidence, gratitude, and hope.
Defeating loneliness as a parent can be done, but it comes with a choice to work on it over time.
To fight back loneliness, work to make connections with other parents as you live your normal life.
Despite living in a digital age, statistics show proximity is the strongest predictor of friendships.
Look for friendships within your town or community, not just digital. There are people around you that might be great friends if you took the time to get to know them.
KIDS EDITION
What Is It?
This resource is a book review to help parents decide if they should read the book themselves.
In the book, Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys, by Stephen James and David Thomas, counselors take on boyhood with a Godly depth and wisdom that few books genuinely do. We live in a world that often tries to soften masculinity or blur the lines of the developmental stages of boyhood. This book defines those stages as:
Year after year*, this book continues to inspire parents to nurture the heart of their son.
How do I use it?
This item is a pdf so you can:
*Disclaimer: Ministry to Parents’ book reviews are often books published in the past six months up to a year. But occasionally we find a book that continues to help parents time and time again. Although the book’s publication date is 2009, it still has excellent clarity and relevant text. We asked Dan to review this book, so parents can continue to nurture the heart of their boys.
