Home = Holy Place?

Scripture is peppered with stories about families of all kinds and the homes they share together.

"Come home with me and refresh yourself." 1 Kings 13:7
"He blesses the home of the just." Proverbs 3:33

It is apparent that God created families for His purposes, giving each member his or her place and responsibilities. Be encouraged to know how An Ordinary Home Can Be a Holy Place.
Read Article by Barb Peil at Insight.org

DiscipleLand Academy

Equipping Parents and Teachers to Raise Young Disciples

Do you have a passion for discipling kids? Are you looking for ways to engage and equip parents to work together raising kids who know, love, and serve God?

Host a DiscipleLand Academy at your church!

DiscipleLand Academy is for parents and teachers to partner together.

• Discover the overwhelming advantage of discipling children for a lifetime of loving and following Jesus.
• Learn practical ways churches and parents can guide kids into a deep and enduring relationship with Christ.
• Invite parents and teachers to a day of being challenged, equipped, and inspired to raise kids who reach their full potential as believers!

The conference demonstrates principles for a balanced approach that blends Bible content, Christian life-skills, and a Biblical world-view. These principles apply to any solid Bible curriculum.

Hosting a DiscipleLand Academy is easy and affordable. DiscipleLand will provide a skilled, experienced trainer. You provide a host location. Offset the conference costs through a nominal attendance fee. Unlike many conferences hosted by publishers, DiscipleLand Academy is purposed to be a high-impact event-regardless of what curriculum your church uses. This conference is not designed to promote products.

Schedule now and save: Save $250 on a DiscipleLand Academy conference booked during July or August!

For more information contact:
  Dick Crider, Training and Resource Specialist
  877-416-3742

Church Spotlight—Franklin Christian Church

Click image to enlarge

Located just fourteen miles south of Nashville, Tennessee in the rapidly growing city of historic Franklin, Franklin Christian Church (FCC) is a direct reflection of the diverse make-up of people in the community. The congregation is made up of long-time local residents, as well as families who have moved to the area as a result of corporate transfers. In addition, there are music industry professionals, professional athletes, as well as young parents who enjoy raising their families in a small town atmosphere.

It is the desire of the FCC Children's Ministry staff to partner with parents in the spiritual education of their children, through building relationships with families and offering solid Bible teaching as well as mentoring and friendships in a safe, fun, and comfortable environment. Our vision is to see each child instilled with the desire to know and love God in a personal way.
Read entire article >>

Free Download--Blank Gift Cards

Families enjoy giving each other "IOUs" or "coupons" for special occasions-things such as dishwashing, backrubs, or other small acts of devotion. With the popularity of gift cards in recent years, why not use this format to present your family with tokens of affection? This download includes gift cards in a color version as well as a black and white format for decorating.

Download Gift Cards
(size: 85KB, pdf format)

Kids Need Family

(Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 5:33-6:4)

The Situation: Children wonder, "What is a 'family?'" Tragic testimonials and sobering statistics document the traditional family's fragmentation. Kids are bewildered by today's widely divergent family configurations and lifestyles.

The Solution: Remember that the family is God's idea, a vital part of His kingdom plan. God establishes and endorses the family as a fortress to withstand the world's hostile influences. God calls Himself "Father"-the One who leads His children. The Bible describes how to maintain healthy, dynamic relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren.

What You Can Do: Work on generating family loyalty. Building this allegiance will promote family teamwork to withstand the world's hurricane-force winds. Make home a priority; express sincere appreciation for each other; spend time together.

Discipleship Tip

Family is still the most formative aspect of a child's life. Although God's ideal includes a mother and father working together to raise a family in love, that situation is not always the case in modern society. Be sensitive to your kids' different family circumstances. Children who live with divorced parents may harbor deep feelings of failure or guilt. Affirm that parents love children regardless of their living situations, and that God loves them all deeply and unconditionally.

KidTrendz

In Lieu of Gifts
An increasing number of kids request that instead of being given gifts for their birthday, their family and friends will help them make a donation to a project of their choice. A young boy in Indiana requested cash instead of gifts at his birthday party. He donated the nearly $100 he raised to an orphanage in Uganda.

A young Jewish girl in Virginia, approaching her bat mitzvah, requested donations to "Send a Kid to Camp" in lieu of gifts. Her goal was to raise enough to send two kids to camp, but she actually raised enough to send seven kids to camp.

Originally published in May/June 2008 issue of K! Magazine, copyright 2008, KidzMatter Inc. Used with permission.

DiscipleLand Training on the Road

We hope to see you in:

Dick Crider, DiscipleLand Training Consultant, has several weekends available for training. Please contact him if you are interested. 877-416-3742

©2008 DiscipleLand. All Rights Reserved.