Allie and I defined the mission statement of our youth ministry as "Coming alongside youth and their families so that they may know, love and serve Jesus Christ." A lot of the emphasis of youth ministry is placed on reaching out to youth and ministering to them. However, we are increasingly convinced - and convicted - that more of our ministry needs to be directed towards the parents of the youth we serve. Not just putting together a calendar of events, or a description of our programs, but equipping parents as best we know how so that they can be the best parents they can to their teenaged children. To that end, I will try to capture quality resources on this blog that are specifically geared towards parents of teenagers as I become aware of them and find them helpful. We're just getting started, so it's a short list so far, but I expect it to grow steadily. If you have any suggestions, please be sure to add it in a comment to this post - maybe it will make our list!
My motive is not purely to enhance our youth ministry, but also to equip Allie and me as parents of soon-to-be teenagers. Bill Hybels is fond of saying that "When a leader gets better, everybody wins." Perhaps I can play off of that and coin my own phrase: "When a parent gets better, everybody wins." (Is that plagiarism?) By that I mean the family, the church, and the world.
Recommended web sites for parents of teens:
Center for Parent/Youth Understanding (CPYU) with Walt Mueller
CPYU has been around for awhile now and does a great job of keeping up with teen culture: music, movies, technology, and dangers. Walt Mueller, the founder, has raised some teens and is working at this from experience. You can follow CPYU on Twitter, Facebook, and sign up for their Youth Culture e-Update, a free email newsletter.
The Source for Parents by Jonathan McKee
Jonathan is an experienced youth worker, speaker, and author who equips youth pastors and parents to raise Christian teenagers. He's also the parent of some teenagers, so he's in the trenches with you! You can follow Jonathan on Twitter, Facebook, and he has several email newsletters you can subscribe to: The Source 4 Parents EZINE, Youth Culture Window, and Jonathan's Blog.
HomeWord Center for Youth and Family with Jim Burns
Jim Burns started out as a youth ministry guru, but now focuses on helping parents with children of all ages, with a slight bent towards teens. You can follow Jim on Twitter, HomeWord on Facebook, and subscribe to several email newsletters: Today's HomeWord Daily Devotional, Good Advice Parent Newsletter, and HomeWord's Weekly Culture Brief.
Free downloadable book for parents:
Do you ever have trouble finding out from your child what happened on a mission trip they went on? Here's an eBook from Leadership Treks called Helping Parents Connect Before, During, and After the Mission Trip - maybe it will help!
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
"My dad is awesome!"
Sunday afternoon I had the boys to myself while Allie was leading our high school youth group. What to do? I decided to take them to Karakung Drive in Havertown, which is closed off from traffic on Sundays, and we walked along next to the creek. I knew there was a park with a playground just across the creek, so I kept my eye out for a bridge where we could cross. After about a half-mile or so we got to the park, but alas, no bridge in sight. What to do? The boys really wanted to play, so I looked for some rocks in the creek that were close enough for me to step across without getting wet. I had the boys hold onto the guardrail, descended the steep, rocky slope (about 10 feet) to the creek, and tested the crossing point I spotted. I came back to the boys, picked D up and carried him down the slope and across the creek. I went back for Z and did the same. The whole process took about 5 minutes and then then the boys bolted off to play on the swings, jungle gym, and spinner.
While I was pushing the spinner for the boys, a girl hopped on with them. D started up a conversation with her and asked her where her dad was. She told him that he was over on the court playing basketball, which I think impressed D a little bit. He responded, "My dad is awesome! He carried me across the creek!" Well, my love tank in that single moment filled up to overflowing. I was ready to conquer the world! I confess that I sometimes have doubts about how good a father I am. Too often I run out of patience and lose my temper, too often I do not give my boys the time and attention they deserve. But at least on this Sunday I got it right, and I am going to savor and treasure this moment as long as I can.
We continued playing at the park for a little bit, but it was past dinner time and I needed to get the boys some food. The departure from the park did not go as swiftly as the arrival, and it was very apparent that Z in particular was out of gas. I not only had to carry him across the creek, but most of the half-mile back to the car. We ate some greasy burgers and fries at Elevation Burger in Wynnewood (Allie doesn't eat beef, so I take every opportunity to do so when we are not eating with her). Though I know fast food is not a healthy choice for my children (and we don't do it very often), I have found they go to sleep much quicker after having some chicken nuggets or a burger, so it was a selfish decision all around for me. (Sidebar: Elevation Burger almost makes you feel like you're eating a healthy dinner and saving the planet: "100% USDA-certified organic, 100% grass-fed, 100% free-range, 100% ground-on-premises beef...fresh-cut fries cooked in 100% heart-healthy a olive oil." So as far as fast food goes, I was doing my kids and the world a favor, right?)
I was sure that between the hike, the playground, and the grease that the boys would crash when we got home. But to my surprise, they recovered their energy - which made for a lively bedtime routine. But in the end they fell asleep much faster than normal. I, on the other hand, have been on an emotional high since Sunday. I will be treasuring my son's comment in my heart for years to come, and I hope to think back on this experience in the days when he is less than enamored with me. It meant so much to me that I felt compelled to resurrect this blog after 5 years of neglect. Will it be another 5 years before I blog again? Maybe. But I hope and pray that even in another 5 years D's words will have the same revitalizing power that they do today.
While I was pushing the spinner for the boys, a girl hopped on with them. D started up a conversation with her and asked her where her dad was. She told him that he was over on the court playing basketball, which I think impressed D a little bit. He responded, "My dad is awesome! He carried me across the creek!" Well, my love tank in that single moment filled up to overflowing. I was ready to conquer the world! I confess that I sometimes have doubts about how good a father I am. Too often I run out of patience and lose my temper, too often I do not give my boys the time and attention they deserve. But at least on this Sunday I got it right, and I am going to savor and treasure this moment as long as I can.
We continued playing at the park for a little bit, but it was past dinner time and I needed to get the boys some food. The departure from the park did not go as swiftly as the arrival, and it was very apparent that Z in particular was out of gas. I not only had to carry him across the creek, but most of the half-mile back to the car. We ate some greasy burgers and fries at Elevation Burger in Wynnewood (Allie doesn't eat beef, so I take every opportunity to do so when we are not eating with her). Though I know fast food is not a healthy choice for my children (and we don't do it very often), I have found they go to sleep much quicker after having some chicken nuggets or a burger, so it was a selfish decision all around for me. (Sidebar: Elevation Burger almost makes you feel like you're eating a healthy dinner and saving the planet: "100% USDA-certified organic, 100% grass-fed, 100% free-range, 100% ground-on-premises beef...fresh-cut fries cooked in 100% heart-healthy a olive oil." So as far as fast food goes, I was doing my kids and the world a favor, right?)
I was sure that between the hike, the playground, and the grease that the boys would crash when we got home. But to my surprise, they recovered their energy - which made for a lively bedtime routine. But in the end they fell asleep much faster than normal. I, on the other hand, have been on an emotional high since Sunday. I will be treasuring my son's comment in my heart for years to come, and I hope to think back on this experience in the days when he is less than enamored with me. It meant so much to me that I felt compelled to resurrect this blog after 5 years of neglect. Will it be another 5 years before I blog again? Maybe. But I hope and pray that even in another 5 years D's words will have the same revitalizing power that they do today.
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