The Family Ministry periodically publishes a newsletter
called the "Family Treasure" which discusses
family related issues and upcoming activities. Listed below are selected
articles from the newsletter.
-
(from the Fall 2002 Family Ministry Newsletter, by Wendy Atkinson)
The last newsletter began a series on the Ten Commandments from the
Adrian Rogers book, Ten Secrets for a Successful Family.
This article will focus on the second commandment which is as follows:
- "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow
down thyself to them, or serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children
unto the third and fourth generation of the that hate me, showing
mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my
commandments."
- Exodus 20:4-6
As Rogers states, "The first commandment deals with
"who" to worship, the second commandment deals with
"how." This commandment is teaching us the Biblical
standard for worship in our lives. The Lord is the Master of our
lives and He alone deserves our praise and worship.
Does your family talk about worship and what it means both individually
and as a group? Teaching your children to worship is one of your
most worthy causes as a parent. Why is worship so important?
Well, when we worship something it is extremely important to us, we
cherish it, and it becomes the main focus in our life. In this
commandment we are warned against the worship of idols. In today's
time, few of us have molten statues that we worship, but many of us have
other idols such as wealth, pleasures, and even family can take hold and
take God's rightful "1st place" in our lives. Later in
this commandment God states that we need to remember that the results of
idol worship (which is sin) has lasting effects from generation to
generation. There is rarely such a thing as a sin that only hurts
one person. So the negative side of this commandment shows us the
consequences of our sin, but the positive side shows us the mercy to
thousands of generations who love Him and follow His commandments.
Don't you want that blessing for your family? You can't teach
your children to love God with a passion over all else if your
relationship is lukewarm and idols are sitting on the shelves of your
heart. If your child was asked what is the most important thing in
your parent's life, would they say "definitely God," or would
they be unsure and begin to share some of the idols in your life.
God placed us in families to love and worship Him. This is why we
exist. This commandment shows us that idolatry is one of the
greatest sins in that it is in direct opposition to Jesus' response that
the most important commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your
heart, soul, mind, and strength. Begin teaching worship to your
children today and the blessings will far exceed any effort you put into
the process.
- Return to Top of Page
(from the Fall 2002 Family Ministry Newsletter)
0-6 Years
Talk about the idea of an invisible God, helping your children to
understand the difference between imaginary and invisible. Let your
kids hear you expressing praise and adoration to the Lord. Explain
how the pictures in their Bibles and Bible books got there. Explain
the pictures are an artist's idea of what Jesus looks like.
7-12 Years
Help your children put this commandment (above) in their own words.
Help them to pick worthy heroes (Missionary Biographies are a great source
for this). Find pictures of religious idols, ancient and current, to
use as discussion starters. Warn your children about the occult.
13+ Years
Introduce your children to good Christian art if you haven't
already. Offer to listen to their music with them and evaluate it
together. Watch for events in the news to discuss with your kids
especially stories that reveal people worshiping wealth, power, fame or
some other modern idol.
Return to Top of Page
(from the Summer 2002 Family Ministry Newsletter)
0-6 Years
Sing and talk about God with your children. Familiarize yourself with
the videos and tapes available for young children. Read Bible stories to
them. Help them to thank God for food, friends, etc.
7-12 Years
Frame a copy of the Ten Commandments and hang it in the family room or
in the children's bedrooms. Have your children memorize the commandments
and reward them of their efforts. Practice family devotion and worship
times. Get your child their own Bible in a version they can read
themselves. Allow them to purchase videos and tapes from Christian
bookstores for jobs well done, etc.
13+ Years
Get books that give them reasons to believe - proof of the truth of
Christianity. Upgrade their Bible to a teen Study Bible. Help your
children begin to take responsibility for their own spiritual lives.
Encourage them to have a daily quiet time.
Return to Top of Page
(from the Summer 2002 Family Ministry Newsletter, by Wendy Atkinson)
What does it mean to grow and nurture our children in the Lord?
It means to teach them the commands of God. Scripture says,
"These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on your children." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) Are
you familiar enough with the Ten Commandments to teach them to your
children? Do you know the commands of Jesus in the Gospels or the
specific instructions for believers in the Epistles? We need to know
God's Word to be able to teach it to our children.
In the book, Ten Secrets for a Successful Family, by
Adrian Rogers, we are asked to think of the Ten Commandments as God's
perfect plan for families. We will take a commandment each
newsletter and discuss it in a way to apply it to your home. Also
following each article will be an excerpt from his book called Turning
Commandments into Commitments, which gives practical guidelines.
The first commandment is stated this way, "I am the Lord thy God,
which has brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." This is the great
revelation to your child that God is the one and only and that he is holy
above all. This commandment means that we will allow nothing to come
between us and our Lord. We must emphasize to our child the place of
priority He has in our life and we must live this a a model for them
daily. If we don't, they will get disillusioned and not understand
the purpose of faith. Also when teaching your children the
commandment, and the others, remind them that God is not trying to be
"mean" by saying "Thou shall not." What He
really is saying is "Don't harm yourself with this" or "You
will find happiness if you do this." This command requires
humility and obedience. Obedience is something children are familiar
with in their own homes. They must learn to respect the authority of
their parents before they can understand the need for God's authority in
their lives. Rebellion in our homes unchecked will not teach your
children the obedience they need to understand the sovereignty of the Lord
and the ability to make a decision to place Him in the throne of their
life. Parents, this is the starting gate. Make His presence
known in you family and don't let other things "outplace" Him.
Spend time teaching your children the wonder and awesomeness of our God.
God's commandments were given to us out of His love for us, and we obey
them out of our love for Him.
Return to Top of Page
(from the Winter 2002 Family Ministry Newsletter)
(by Wendy & Neal Atkinson)
With divorce a common occurrence both in secular society and even often
within the church, we all need a time to dedicate ourselves to our spouses
and to Christ so that we might remain devoted and true to the one that we
pledged to the Lord to love for always.
In February 2002, on Valentines weekend, Harold and Bette Gillogly,
national marriage seminar speakers, will be coming to Cool Spring to share
with us how to celebrate the oneness in our marriages. This event
promises to be a very special one with a candlelight dinner on Friday
night, a variety of seminar topics, and a special recommitment ceremony.
God's intention is for our marriages to be a p lace of magnificent,
boundless love, but it can only be accomplished through a strong
relationship with Christ and dedication to each other. Come share in
this special weekend of fun and fellowship and watch your marriage blossom
and grow. As you are spending time together laughing and learning,
you will be once again placing your marriage on the altar before Christ,
who is the only one who can make your marriage the best it can be.
Return to Top of Page
(from the Winter 2002 Family Ministry Newsletter)
(by Wendy Atkinson)
"I'm sorry, please forgive me . . ." are words we've
all heard and said many times. But what is this forgiveness?
The verb to "forgive" means to "pardon someone or to stop
blaming them for something." Easy to define, but hard sometimes
to do.
Teaching forgiveness to our children begins with ourselves and living
it our in our daily lives. Teach your child to say "I'm
sorry" and to specifically state what they are sorry for. This
helps them to truly understand and take to heart exactly what they have
done that was wrong, and how it has affected or damaged the relationship.
It is easy to just say, "I'm sorry" by itself and the move on,
but with this rarely comes a change of heart.
What needs to follow "I'm sorry," is a humble "will you
forgive me?" By adding this, you are saying to the person you
have hurt or offended that you truly wish to restore your relationship
with them. Our children need to understand that loving others is a
command of the Lord, so there is no place for bitterness, anger, or
resentment. We need to forgive as Christ forgives.
It's equally important to say theses words to our spouses. Bitter
walls of anger can be crumbled by a humble request for forgiveness.
None of us are perfect, of course, but we can learn to live with a
forgiving spirit. Ti is a trait that many of us still need lots of
work on developing in our lives.
Is it easy for you to say "I'm sorry" and admit your faults?
Are you able to be humble and desire to restore relationships even when
you have been wronged? Christ was willing to go to the cross for our
offenses to restore our relationship with the Heavenly Father. How
far are you willing to go to keep you relationships strong and healthy in
the Lord?
Remember that "Will you forgive me" followed by a "yes,
I will" are sweet words of rescue to a lost soul. Be willing to
forgive and be forgiven.
Family Memory Verse: "Bear with each other and forgive
whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the
Lord forgives you." Colossians 3:13
Return to Top of Page
(from the Winter 2002 Family Ministry Newsletter)
(Story taken from Rev. AP Bailey's section of The Richmond
Times Dispatch)
Never underestimate the power of a good parent. A family
may live in humble circumstances, yet the influence of the first seven
years especially lingers.
The dying prayer of Jesus, "Father, into Thy hands I commend my
spirit!" (Luke 23:46) is a direct quotation from Psalm 31:5 without
the word "Father" added. It was the first good night
prayer that most Jewish mothers taught their children to say before going
to sleep, just as many of us are taught "Now I lay me down to
sleep."
Jesus died with the prayer his mother taught him on his lips. A
mother and father may be the greatest teachers their child ever has.
"I will teach you the good and the right way." (1 Samuel 12:23)
Return to Top of Page
(from the Fall 2001 Family Ministry Newsletter)
(by Wendy & Neal Atkinson)
As we welcome in the fall season we have the excitement of school
starting , new programs and classes here at church, and of course our new
building getting closer and closer to its completion! Yes, it's a
time of new beginnings for all of us. And with the tragedy that our
country has faced recently, we have the opportunity for another new
beginning. A chance for more open and receptive hearts to receive
the message of Christ and for our country to become more united in faith
and purpose. God is Sovereign and His ways are not distracted by the
actions of men or evil. Let's make our church a beacon of hope for
hurt people, reaching out beyond our comfort zones to help the community
around us.
Family is the basic unit in society and when there is break-down there
- the society also fall apart. Let's strive to be "family
builders" in our homes and then reach out to others who need guidance
in setting the "bricks of truth" in place to make their homes
safe, secure, and able to withstand the temptations and trials of the
world.
Return to Top of Page
(from the Fall 2001 Family Ministry Newsletter)
(Excerpted from Building Strong Families by Dr. William
Mitchell and Michael A. Mitchell.)
The character trait chosen for this newsletter is self-control.
Self-control is defined as "restraint over one's emotions and
actions." This is an issue that both adults and children alike
struggle with on a daily basis. There are six keys to acquiring this
attribute:
- Control your emotions: Proverbs 25:28 says, "A
person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with
broken-down walls." (This has been a memory verse in our
family for years!) Tell your child to take time to bring his
emotions into control by himself. It should be expressed that it
is not a sin to be angry, frustrated or hurt, but that feelings need
to be accepted and expressed in a positive, problem-solving way.
Remind them to pray to God for help if this is a difficult area for
them. Have them ask themselves, "What can I do to change
the situation?" Then use the energy from their feelings to
bring about a positive result.
- Guard your words: Proverbs 13:3 states, "The one who
guards his mouth preserves his life." Positive words build
and negative words tear down. Set rules in your family for only
building each other up. Also teach them to stop and think a
minute before opening their mouths. You may need to say
sometimes, "Is there a more positive way you could have said
that?" Practice as a family positive statements for times
of confrontation.
- Refrain from acting: Proverbs 19:11 says, "When
someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it."
Teach your children that:
- Not all suggestions are worth taking.
- Not all invitations need to be accepted.
- Not all people are good to have as friends.
- Not all activities are healthful or helpful.
- Not all associations or relationships are beneficial.
Remind them they can spend a great deal of time plotting revenge or
trying to right wrongs against them. Sometimes it's best to say
"No" to these natural impulses and just move on in your own
life.
- Stick to plans: Proverbs 16:9 states, "We should
make plans - counting on God to direct us." Model and
encourage your children to go to God first for direction and planning
in their life. Remind them that keeping commitments are very
important. Encourage them to stick to promises made, even when a
better offer comes by later. Teach them that their word should
be able to be counted on.
- Manage money and material resources wisely: Proverbs 21:20
says, "The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man
spends whatever he gets." Budgeting and saving are
important habits to instill that help in learning self-control.
Help your children understand the value of money by making them work
for the money they receive. Help them early on to give a tithe
to the church, save some, and then they are free to do what they want
with the rest. This will make them a wonderful steward as an
adult.
- Strive to maintain good health: 1 Thessalonians 4:4 states,
"Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that
is holy and honorable." Think of all the things you have to
enjoy in life, and then realize how little they can be enjoyed without
the blessing of good health. It is here you can teach your
children about going to God for problems instead of turning to alcohol
or drugs which damage the body and mind as well as the relationships
in your life.
Lastly, if your are not self-disciplined as an adult, it will be hard
to instill this value into our children. Your actions speak MUCH
louder than your words. Ask God to help both you and your child be
more self-controlled. Is self-control an issue in your household?
Begin now in taking the time to work on this. God will work wonders
in your life and in those around you if you allow HIM to guide you rather
than your emotions.
Return to Top of Page
(from the Fall 2001 Family Ministry Newsletter)
(Excerpted from Family Life by Dennis Rainey.)
The following are suggestions from Dennis Rainey from FAMILY LIFE
in dealing with our country's crisis and how to share it with your
children. These key points were part of a Broadcast from FamilyLife
Today aired to help parents and grandparents in discussing these tragic
events: "The events of last Tuesday were so dramatic and so evil;
they demand a strong Christian response. Children of all ages have
been processing the events. If you have children or grandchildren,
or if you have an influence on the lives of young people, you need to
recognize the opportunity you have to impart a profound message to the
next generation during this national crisis.
Many of you may be asking, "Exactly what should we communicate to
our children?" In times like this, I believe we have a
responsibility to lead our children back to the truth of God's word in the
Bible. Some of you may feel inadequate or fearful that your child
will ask a question you can't answer. But that is exactly why God
has given you the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures.
There are three themes we need to communicate to our children:
Theme 1: We need to give thanks in all things because
giving thanks demonstrates faith in the character of God that He knows
what He is doing. God did NOT stop being good just because bad
things have happened. Review 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Philippians
4:6.
Theme 2: We need to remember that God is Sovereign, and He
rules with absolute control and power. Nothing happens apart from
what He allows or brings about. Review 2 Chronicles 2:5, Psalm
115:3, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Job 42:1-6, 1 Corinthians 15:54, and Romans
8:28.
Theme 3: We need to remember that God is our Redeemer, our
Rock and our Refuge. Review 2 Samuel 22:2-3, Psalm 46 and 118:8-9,
Isaiah 33:15-16, and Jeremiah 16:19-20.
Here are also some practical tips for helping your children through
this tragedy:
For younger children:
- Recognize they may be fearful of the images, so limit their TV.
viewing.
- Talk with them about how they feel and why.
- Help them memorize comforting Scriptures.
- Help them write a letter to firefighters or police.
For older children:
- Recognize they may be concerned about their security and future.
Assure them that God is good.
- Ask them to express their feelings or write them in a journal.
- Remind them that some suffering a pain is part of life.
- Help them to think of the circumstances on a higher plane,
"What would God have us do as Christians to help in this
time?"
- Steer them to God's word with the verse mentioned above.
- Encourage them to talk to their friends about salvation and eternal
destiny.
Finally, let me encourage you to step up to the task before you.
Your actions will have a lasting impact on the spiritual strength of the
next generation. Don't let this opportunity slip away."
Return to Top of Page
(from the Summer 2001 Family Ministry Newsletter)
(Excerpted from PRAY!, issue #4 P.O. Box 469084, Escondido,
CA)
- Salvation.
"Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may
obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal
glory."
(Is. 45:8, 2 Tim 2:10)
- Growth in Grace.
"I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
(2 Pet. 3:18)
- Love.
"Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love,
through the Spirit who dwells in them."
(Gal. 5:25, Eph. 5:2))
- Honest and Integrity.
"May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their
protection."
(Ps. 25:21)
- Self-control.
"Father, help my children not to be like many others around them,
but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do."
(1 Thess. 5:6)
- Love for God's Word.
"May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much
pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb."
(Ps. 19:10)
- Justice.
"God, help my children to love justice as You do, and act justly
in all they do."
(Ps. 11:7, Mic. 6:8)
- Mercy.
"May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is
merciful."
(Lk. 6:36)
- Respect (for self, others, authority).
"Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to
everyone, as your Word commands."
(1 Pet. 2:17)
- Biblical Self-esteem.
"Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in
the realization that they are God's workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus."
(Eph. 2:10)
- Faithfulness.
"Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind
these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of
their hearts."
(Prov. 3:3)
- Courage.
"May my children always be strong and courageous in their
character and in their actions."
(Dt. 31:6)
- Purity.
"Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart
be shown in their actions."
(Ps. 51:10)
- Kindness.
"Lord, may my children always be strong and courageous in their
character and in their actions."
(1 Thess. 5:15)
- Generosity.
"Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and
so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming
age."
(1 Tim. 6:18-19)
- Peace-loving.
"Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to
peace."
(Rom. 14:19)
- Joy.
"May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy
Spirit."
(1 Thess. 1:6)
- Perseverance.
"Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help
them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for
them."
(Heb. 12:1)
- Humility.
"God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true
humility toward all."
(Titus 3:2)
- Compassion.
"Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of
compassion."
(Col. 3:12)
- Responsibility.
"Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one
should carry his own load."
(Gal 6:5)
- Contentment.
"Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and
every situation, through Him who gives them strength."
(Phil. 4:12-13)
- Faith.
"I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's
hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to
them."
(Lk. 17:5-6, Heb. 11:1-40)
- A Servant's Heart.
"God, please help my children develop servant's hearts, that they
may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not
men."
(Eph. 6:7)
- Hope.
"May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with
hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit."
(Ro. 15:13)
- Willingness and Ability to Work.
"Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with
all their heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
(Col. 3:23)
- Passion for God.
"Lord, please instill in my children a soul that 'followeth hard
after thee' one that clings passionately to you."
(Ps. 63:8 KJV)
- Self-discipline.
"Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and
prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair."
(Prov. 1:3)
- Prayerfulness.
"Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by
prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."
(Eph. 6:18)
- Gratitude.
"Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with
thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for
everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
(Eph. 5:20, Col. 2:7)
- A Heart for Missions.
"Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see your
glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all
peoples."
(Ps. 96:3)
Return to Top of Page
Return to Top of Page
(from the Summer 2001 Family Ministry Newsletter)
by Wendy Atkinson
 Our
character trait for this newsletter is compassion. Compassion's
definition includes: "a sympathetic consciousness of other's distress
together with a desire to alleviate it". Wow, what a great
definition!
Do your
children know what compassion is? Do you? How many times
during the day are you given a chance to demonstrate compassion and you
fail to do so because you are too busy, too tired or too hard-hearted?
Take time to model compassion with each other in the family. Try
some of the following:
- Have family prayer times where each person brings someone to pray
for that they know is hurting or in need.
- Have your children give small gifts or make a card for someone sick
or someone having a difficult time.
- Role play how it would feel to be in certain situations so they have
a better understanding of other's needs and feeling.
- Hold each other accountable to help someone each week or a few
people a month and share these in a family time.
- Watch family movies and discuss how someone may have shown
compassion better in certain situations.
- Praise you children when they notice the needs of someone else on
their own.
- Read stories together and discuss the examples or issues of
compassion that arise.
- Include your children in volunteer work in the community.
These are
just a few things that will help raise the "compassion quotient"
in you and your children and shed the light of Christ to someone in need.
Try a few
and become a healing touch to someone's hurting heart! The harshness of
this world needs more Christ-like compassion to break through and give
light and hope to those in darkness and despair.
In the
next issue I will discuss self-control.
Return to Top of Page
(from the Winter and Summer 2001 Family Ministry Newsletters)
"Obey them not
only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of
Christ, doing the will of God from our heart."
Ephesians 6:6
"Carry each other's burdens and in this way
you will fulfill the laws of Christ."
Galatians 6:2
"If you don't have time for your family, you
can be 100% sure that you are not following God's will for your
life."
Patrick M Morley
"I know God wouldn't give me anything I can't
handle, but I wish he didn't trust me so much."
Mother Theresa
"Live in such a way that those who know
you but don't know God will come to know God because they know you."
Anonymous
-
Return to Top of Page
(from the Winter 2001 Family Ministry Newsletter)
by Neal and Wendy Atkinson
Welcome to
the first Cool Spring Family Newsletter. To begin, we would like to tell
you a little about the family ministry and how it fits in with the new
ministries teams. The Family Ministry falls under the Care Ministries
umbrella. Team leaders are Neal and Wendy Atkinson. Within the Family
Ministry are Family Counseling, with group leaders Wes McEntire and Nancy
Jackson; and Family Care, with group leaders Stacy McCauley and Sally
Craymer.
Our
mission statement is to address enrichment, intervention and outreach
needs of families by enhancing spiritual growth, strengthening family
relationships, providing counseling and support for family needs and
preparing families to be disciples of Christ to the community.
Our
supporting scripture is "By wisdom a house is built, and through
understanding it is established: through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures." Proverbs 24: 3-4.
We are,
right now, in the grassroots stages, but we have set goals and objectives
for the next 12-15 months and are currently seeking those called to family
ministry to help us meet these goals. We are very excited about this
newsletter and the recent and many upcoming planned "family"
events, as well as setting up a lay counseling team within the church.
There are so many things that the Lord has planned for Cool Spring
families. If you are interested in this ministry, please contact us and we
will guide you in your place of service.
Some of
the more specific things we are doing include this family newsletter,
teaching discipleship classes in the area of marriage, parenting and
financial issues for families, organizing seminars and speakers both
inside and outside the church related to family, and teaching families and
individuals to better meet each others needs and the needs of others in
our church family. The family is the basic foundation on which the Lord
builds His kingdom here on earth. Our families need to reach out to each
other within the church and then to families outside our church to bring
them to also know the power of the love of Christ. The Family ministry has
been a great desire of ours and we are glad to serve you in any way we
can.
Return to Top of Page
(from the Winter 2001 Family Ministry Newsletter)
by Brenda Kidd and Katie Cutchins
At Cool
Spring, your children are always learning and growing in the Lord.
Our 1st-3rd
Graders reminded us of the true meaning of Christmas in the musical
"The Plane Truth." This musical ministered to believers and
non-believers alike. On Christmas Eve morning our children had their very
own worship experience for the first time. It included a pageant, songs,
and a birthday cake for Jesus. The children's Christmas Eve morning
service gave them an experience that was especially suited for them and
put on by them. It was so exciting for them that they went home talking
about it. Thank you to all the adults who made these and so many other
events so successful.
On June
3rd, our 4th-6th Graders will perform the musical,
"Eye Witness News." They are busy working on it now.
TeamKid, our summer program, and Vacation Bible School, June 25-29, are
right around the corner. Our children eagerly await these two events all
year. Involvement is the key. God is calling you!
There is a
special place of service that only you can fill from registration, to
teaching, to food preparation, to recreation. Call Brenda now to volunteer
to help (746-0185). You don't know what blessings are waiting for you!
Return to Top of Page
(from the Winter 2001 Family Ministry Newsletter)
by Wendy Atkinson
We would
like each newsletter to include a family character building section.
Today's article is about character itself. Character in the dictionary
states:
1. Moral force; integrity
2. Qualities that distinguish an individual or group.
3. Good reputation.
These are all
things that we want for ourselves and each member of our family. We all
know that a person's true character is revealed by what he does when no
one is watching.
We are called
to be witnesses and disciples of Christ. Is that the example we are
setting for our children? Do our children obey us, even when we are not
around? We are talking about a change of heart issue, here. Where is your
heart? Return to Top of Page
|
