daddy4ms

Today, I am posting over at http://www.1corinthians13parenting.com/blog/ My post is about passing on faith to our kids based on Ephesians 6:4.  Stop by the site and read it or one of the many other great posts by members of the 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting Team.

Are you looking for a good resource to use with your family this Advent Season?  Here are some resources to use at home to talk about Christmas: Adornaments by Family Life   The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel    What God Wants for Christmas by Family Life     http://truthinthetinsel.com/ http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/11/free-jesse-tree-advent-family-devotional/

In the introduction, the author describes the book in this way: "52 Creative Family Time Experiences is designed to set up three kinds of epic moments with your kids: 1. Informal-daily moments when you can impress faith. 2. Intentional family times-that you schedule weekly, or every other week. 3. Milestones-holidays and rites of passage when you affirm spiritual growth. As I read through this book, I was impressed with the authors understanding of culture as well as the biblical mandate for parents to pass on faith to their kids. Many books focus on one to the detriment of the other. 52 Creative Family Time Experiences does both! Smith has done a great job incorporating creativity & activities to help teach the Bible. He has listed 52 activities to be done as families weekly or every other week. Several great features include: ways to adapt lesson for preschoolers and teenagers, engaging questions to point to who God is rather than just information, engagin...

Here is an article that I contributed to published in the June/July issue of the Christian Leader.  This article was birthed as a result of a workshop I presented with Jenny Wall, Ken Ediger, & Steve Fast in Oklahoma last summer.  We will be presenting a similar workshop in Omaha this summer.  Hope you enjoy! http://www.usmb.org/parents-hold-key-to-providing-faith-home

This morning was Donuts with Dad.  I always look forward to this event sponsored by HElP (Hesston Elementary Parents).  I could sit in the 3/4 commons all day as dads (and grandpas) come in with smiling kids.  It is a reminder to me about the importance of men in the lives of kids.  All of us dads (or grandpas) looked different (some in suit and tie, others in scrubs, some in khakis & button up shirts, some in work clothes, some in jeans), but we were all the same in our desire to be present with and available to our kids. As Pastor of Children and Family at Hesston MB Church, my desire is to see dads continue to love, be available and play with their kids.  But more important is raising them to Love God & Love Others.   As fathers it is our responsibility to train our children spiritually.  Some of us need to step in and help others where a father has checked out, has abandoned the family, or is not a follower of Christ. So, dads, how are ...

I finished Mark Holmen's new book, Impress Faith on Your Kids on Thursday.  In the book, Holmen walks through Deuteronomy 6 and its implications for parents.  This is a good book to put into the hands of new parents as they seek how to pass on faith to their children.  Holmen does a great job of looking to specific verses from Deuteronomy 6 and making them practical in our day to day lives.  At the end of each chapter, Holmen writes a letter to a friend summarizing the content of the chapter.  At first, I thought this was redundant, but then I understood Holmen's heart for the friend to whom these letters were written. He explains how these letters were specifically written to someone who probably would never pick up his book. Holmen also includes questions for small group discussion at the end of each chapter. The specific chapters focus on different aspects of parenting.  He starts with the goal of parenting which by the way is not good kids, smart kids...

Mark Holmen will be coming to Countryside Christian Church in Wichita, KS as part of the D6 Tour on Oct. 1-2.  Hesston MB Church will be attending this seminar.  Here are some questions that I asked Mark Holmen via email. What was key thing/event that led you to Faith @ Home? Ultimately it was a change God made in my life through a survey that showed that parents, and what happens in the home when it comes to faith formation, is 2-3 times more influential than any church program.  When that sank in, I realized I needed to be a more faith@home focused leader where I spent as much of my time energy and resources focusing on helping people live out their faith@home as I was doing on getting them to church events and programs.  Holmen has written a resource called Take It Home.  I asked Mark, how did you pick specific skills? We were looking for skills/behaviors that enhance your relationship with God.  For example, I believe you grow deeper i...

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=608dcb6835" >Mark Holmen at D6</a>

Here is another post from Mark Holmen from D6 conference last year. For more information about D6 2011, check out www.d6conference.com or visit my blog Sept. 21-23 for live updates. You can even chat with me live and ask questions. I am getting excited as the conference begins in one week. The next speaker was Mark Holmen who is a missionary for Faith at Home. Previously he was a youth pastor and pastor who implements faith at home practices. He started by sharing the stats about 18 year olds leaving the church after high school. He asked the question, Why? His opinion is that it is hypocrisy in the home. Faith was seen as church centered rather than a lifestyle. He talked about the two approaches of family ministry. Silos-separate ministries for children, youth, adults, family & Integrated where faith at home is a thread within all ministries. He described his Take It Home Events (which I am working on for Hesston MB). At the Take It Home Event, he did 4 things: mot...

Daddy And Daughter from D6 Conference on Vimeo .

So, I hope you had a chance to read the Scriptures that I posted previously as to what God's Word says in regards to the family passing on their faith. These are the foundation on this discussion of connecting the church and home. Today, I would like to share a few quotes that hopefully get you thinking about how we need to change the way we do ministry in the church. "As the family goes, so goes the future of the Church. Religious life in the home is more influential than the Church." (Peter Benson, Search Institute) "Perhaps the most important question we can ask is this: How much time, energy, and resources are we investing to make the home the primary place where faith is nurtured?" (Mark Holmen , Building Faith At Home pg. 12) "I believe it is time for the Church to rescue families." (Mark Holmen , Building Faith pg. 12) "We've outsourced the cleaning of our clothes, the washing of our windows, the mowing of our yards--and, unfortun...