I’m at CPC 2012 in Orlando, FL this week.
The Children’s Pastor Conference boasts lots of content providers, publishers and resources all under one roof in one place, as well as speakers, breakout sessions, and great networking opportunities.
I plan to blog about as many things as I can. I’m excited to look through all the resources as well as the content from the breakouts.
Follow all the posts from CPC 2012 @ jeremymavis.com/cpc12
A couple days ago it was 5 Things Every Parent Must Stop. Today the EpicParent reverses direction and implores his audience toward few things every parent must do:
I’ll give you the first one… Reverse the Curse.
Not quite. Jesus did reveal his destiny, proclaim his kingdom, and ride into Jerusalem. But he didn’t do battle with the Romans. Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world (which is so difficult for his followers to understand… wasn’t that the Messiah’s job?). He went into the Temple, flipped over the tables of the money-changers, and then left. He left?! Yep, he left Jerusalem.
This was the beginning of the end for Jesus. This was the pinnacle of his public popularity. It is all downhill for him from here on out. His followers switch sides. Loyalties are questioned. Betrayal plans are being made in secret. Jesus is poised to suffer and die for the sake of the entire world…
Story Lesson (861.69kb, pdf)
Audio File (11.02mb, mp3)
Video Link (1.8.12 @ vimeo.com)
Video Link (1.11.09 @ vimeo.com)
Categories can be dangerous, so don’t actually call your children “strong willed” or “stubborn” or “passive” or whatever… be careful of the labels we place on children.
However, in an effort to understand children, creating categories (and labels of sorts) are helpful to develop a sort of parental spectrum and a language to begin conversing about the spectrum and where our children’s various temperaments fit. Hopefully, the outcome of defining and understanding such a spectrum will lead us as parents to better be able to train our children in character, behavior, and eventual vocation.
Here is an article that helps define one such parental spectrum that is worth reading to better understand your children and your role and actions as a parent of these children:
Parenting the Strong Willed Child and the Unmotivated Child
by Dr. Scott Turansky
(Notice I said “one such” and “a” parental spectrum. There are many others that are helpful as well. This one I’ve highlighted is not the ONLY one, but one that might be helpful for us as parents.)
I appreciate coming across videos or books that do a good job of summarizing succinctly the story of redemptive history [1:48].
A World Unbroken via Barefoot Ministries
HT Rachel South
source Vimeo
As usual, the EpicParent nails a list of a few things that parents must stop in his iconic post:
I’ll give you the first one… Facebook!!
Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Sewell used only 1 bat in his 14-year career and struck out only 114 times in 7,132 attempts. He never was convinced that a newer, more sophisticated bat would improve his play. When he was in a slump, rather than blaming his equipment, he took extra batting practice and focused on his swinging mechanics.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our nation had that same philosophy towards marriage? When things go sour, rather than looking to get a new replacement right away, we instead would focus on what we can control – how we can improve our relational mechanics. How can we be more patient towards our wife? More thoughtful? More loving? You can’t control your wife’s actions, but here are 10 tips to become a better husband to make your marriage stronger. Work on you and trust the rest will take care of itself. And encourage your wife to sign up for iMOM’s daily email, the Espresso Minute, so she can thrive better in her role as a mother and spouse.
Copyright 2011 All Pro Dad. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission. For more fatherhood resources, visit AllProDad.com.
It is so natural and easy to blame our equipment (or our spouse) than it is to look at the one using the equipment (me). I like what the author of this post implies: taking personal responsibility instead of blaming others. Now there are times when others are to blame, but according to the kingdom of God ethic we are to practice: we suffer for the sake of the world, even when we are totally right and they are totally wrong.
I know, I know… it’s not popular… living in God’s kingdom isn’t popular… but it’s the true way to be the human beings God created us to be, and it’s our unique vocation to show the world what God is like through our actions, reactions and character.
via All Pro Dad blog
Hopefully our parental engagement with our kids include teaching them how to say please, thank you, and you’re welcome. It takes lots of practice, doesn’t it?
In the process of this constant reminding, we’ve experienced some funny moments and only rarely are we able to catch it on video… last night we did! Enjoy!
source YouTube
Parenting seems to be a balancing act between being too rigid and too relational. Mark Gregston shares about this tightrope walk we parents have done in the current and previous generations:
The “Baby Boom” generation was so anxious to have good relationships with their children that they tended to set aside their primary role as parents. Their desire to be their child’s best friend nurtured the advent of a self-centered, demanding, “Me Generation” who believes the world revolves around them. But there’s hope!
It’s worth reading Gregston’s article entitled: Balanced Parenting
This is great. I discovered this post over at AllProDad.com:
Dr. Gary Smalley in his book The Key to Your Child’s Heart relates the following:
“Several years ago, I used to speak to groups of four hundred to two thousand people in fifty cities annually. I began to notice that certain families in the audiences experienced unusually happy interaction among themselves. I was intrigued by this and began to do a study. I would interview the wife, husband and children separately.
Each person was asked the same question: ‘What do you believe is the main reason you all are so close and happy as a family?’
What I found amazed me. Each family member gave basically the same answer:
‘We do a lot of things together.’”
Copyright 2011 All Pro Dad. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission. For more fatherhood resources, visit AllProDad.com.
Dale Hudson, Director of Children’s Ministry @ Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach, FL shares some of the resources he recommends for parents to assist in the spiritual development with their children at home.
via Relevant Children’s Ministry
source Vimeo