PARENTS
Thank you for your interest in Way Walkers, our children's ministry. Our passion is to help you and your child know Jesus as Lord and Savior and to grow your personal relationship with him. We strive to provide a safe atmosphere where the teaching is Biblical and your children are loved!
If you are a first time visitor, please join us at the Welcome Counter in the Children's Wing so we may introduce ourselves and make sure your child is well cared for. We will inform you of the security system we have in place in order to make sure your child is well cared for until you come to pick him or her up after the services. Our class rooms and nursery rooms are open 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after each Sunday service.
We look forward to seeing you!
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What do you seek for your children?
What are parents most devoted to helping their children experience?
In a Barna Group survey, the top answer was getting a good education (39%). Next was helping kids feel loved (24%), followed by enabling them to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ (22%). Research also shows that most people become Christians by age 12 or 13, which highlights the importance of intentional spirituality. “What we build into a child’s life prior to the age of 13 represents the moral and spiritual foundation that defines them as individuals and directs their choices for the remainder of their life,” George Barna writes.
Ten Building Blocks for a Happy Family
by Jim Burns, Ph.D.
Most parents are doing a good job of parenting - but don't realize it. All parents should understand that there are no perfect families. I know for sure that mine isn't! Likewise, there is no perfect parenting method. Still, my wife Cathy and I have settled on what we believe to be the ten essential ingredients for building and maintaining a happy family. Here they are presented in an "overview" form. For a more in-depth look at these issues, you may find my book (by the same name) helpful!
1. Be there for your kids. Your children regard your presence as a sign of caring and connectedness (even when they don't seem to do so!) Presence provides kids with a greater sense of security than almost any other quality parents can offer.
2. Express affection, warmth and encouragement. Families with a sense of A.W.E. - as opposed to shame-based parenting - is a home where children and spouses will feel more secure.
3. Build healthy morals and values. The decisions kids make today will often affect them for the rest of their lives. Parents have significant powers of influence - through modeling and teaching - over the morals and values their kids carry into adulthood!
4. Discipline with consistency. Clearly expressed expectations and consistent follow-through produce responsible kids. Make your goal of discipline one of teaching kids responsibility not evoking obedience.
5. Ruthlessly eliminate stress. The unbalanced life will not be kind to the areas we neglect. Parents must make the difficult decisions of reducing the effect of our culture's breathless pace on their family.
6. Communication is key. Positive communication is the language of love for our children. Parents must take the initiative to set the tone for family communication - which includes the important skill of listening.
7. Play is necessary for a close-knit family. There is nothing like play to bring about family togetherness and communication. Play builds family memories, reduces family stress and produces support and affirmation.
8. Love your spouse. A loving marriage brings hope and security to your children. At times, this means putting your spouse's needs ahead of your children's needs.
9. Let your life reflect the understanding that the best things in life are not things. Healthy stewardship and financial decisions produce positive family priorities.
10. Energize your family's spiritual growth. Your greatest calling in life is to leave a spiritual legacy for your children. Pay close attention to your own spiritual health and model a healthy spirituality for your family.
(Excerpted from the book The 10 Building Blocks of a Happy Family by Jim Burns, Ph.D.)
Taking Those You Love For Granted
We tend to take for granted those we are closest to. It was Jesus who said "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor." If we're not careful, the family can be a place where people take each other for granted. The phrase, "Familiarity breeds contempt" says the same thing.We believe that the solution to this dilemma is to continually grow in honor. Honor treats people as special and looks for ways to value others.
One day a man came home and found his house a disaster. The kids were still in their pajamas outside playing in the mud. Empty food boxes and wrappers littered the house. Dishes were on the counter, dog food was all over the floor and a broken glass lay under the table. Toys and clothes cluttered the playroom and a lamp was lying on its side. He headed up the stairs, stepping over toys, looking for his wife. He was worried that she was sick, or that something worse might have happened. He found her in the bedroom, still in bed with her pajamas on, reading a book. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked, "How was your day?"
"What in the world happened here today?"
She again smiled and answered, "You know everyday when you come home from work and ask me what I did today?"
"Yes. . . ?"
"Well, today I didn't do it!"
Take a moment and consider who in your family you've been taking for granted. Give a little time to show honor.
This tip about honor comes from the book, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, In You and Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller RN, BSN.
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