Over the next few weeks we will be writing short previews of each session for the Spiritual Parenting conference in April. This will allow  you to know what you can expect during the conference, how to explain it to others you may want to invite, and a teaser of sorts to whet your appetite.

Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid, and too little is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe. By reducing Christian spirituality to a formula, we deprive our hearts of wonder.

Donald Miller

As parents we want to do a good job raising our children. There are many books, blogs and other resources currently produced that give us all sorts of formulas (and charts) to parenting, to raising good kids. I recently saw the following topics; Raising the Confident Child, Raising the Happy Child, The Happiest Child on the Block, Key’s to Raising your Children the French Way (and the Chinese way), How to Make Awesome (happy, sporty, smart, gifted, funny) Kids. There is nothing wrong with checking these sorts of books out from the library. They all offer encouragement and support for our families. But we question the use of formulas as the main framework for raising children. In spiritual parenting we are learning how to put our children in the path of God and watching them learn to love Jesus. Spiritual parenting is about cultivating environments for God’s Spirit to be at work in our children’s hearts.

Spiritual Parenting, a term used by author Michelle Anthony, is not about seeking a formula. Rather spiritual parenting is about what it means to seek God as our primary audience “to please Him alone with our parenting and see Him alone for the strength and power to do so. Spiritual parenting is not perfect parenting–it’s parenting from a spiritual perspective with eternity in mind.” Through this conference we will explore ways to change our search for the perfect formula and say, “I want to parent the child or children the God gave me in such a way that I first honor God, and then second, create the best environment to put my children in the path of the Divine.”

In learning what a spiritual parent is we will explore the following conversations:

*How we define ourselves. What if our children were defined by their actions of justice and mercy, faithfulness and love? What if they were a generation who lived in the world and still proclaimed these things by their very lives? A spiritual life is one that is transformed and out of hiding.

*Cultivating environments for faith growth. The joy of parenting can be spent on cultivating environments for our children’s faith to grow, teaching them how to cultivate a love relationship with Jesus as we cultivate our own, living our lives authentically in front of them so that they become eyewitnesses to our own transformation. 

*Igniting a transforming faith. I felt confident that I could teach them (my children) good morals and values and could for the most part keep them away from the dangers of this world… But if my job was not to merely control my children’s behavior in these matters, then what was it? I realized that my goal was much more grand than I had imagined–much more compelling. My goal was to pass on a vibrant and transforming faith.

We look forward to hearing Michelle Anthony discuss these topics more in depth at the conference through her DVD conference series. We hope you can join us.

Over the next few months the Opus group is also reading articles on parenting that you might enjoy as we approach the conference. Opus Readings & discussion dates

All quotes and italics come out of Spiritual Parenting; an awakening for today’s families. By Michelle Anthony

Are you wondering where all those pennies go that your children bring to church each Sunday?

Here is an update on where your child’s Giving is going. In the past 6 months the children’s giving or offerings have gone to four different places.

1. July-During VBS each year one of the rotations each child gets to participate in is called Service Projects. We took Thank You packages to 5 different fire stations around Gainesville. Cookies and care packages were sent to the Ronald McDonald House. We painted posters to welcome kids back to school at our adopted school near downtown. And like in the past, the children made flower arrangements for the residents at a local assisted living home. Many of the supplies we use to make these care packages are donated, but children’s offering from the Spring contributed $70 to the flowers and other care package supplies.

2. Operation Christmas Child-This year CM contributed 14 boxes to the CCC collection. Most of the supplies that go into the boxes are brought in by the children. But their Summer offerings contributed $98 to the shipping costs. Covering the total expense to ship each box!

3. Missions-This October the Missions Committee hosted a Global Missions Conference. During this time two presentations were given to the children focusing on our own CCC supported missions, especially the families with Children. During the Friday evening program the Robinson’s  started the conversation about what it might be like to experience missions as a child. Growing up on a “missions field” and the joys and struggles the children might go through. During this time one of our supported families came and talked with the group. Getting to meet “real” children who are missionaries was a great experience for children. On the following Sunday the kids got to learn about one of our families who served in China for several years. During this time their son was born and spent the first two years of his life living there. We also got to read a letter written to us from Lydia who is one of our supported missionary daughters. The children’s giving from the Fall sent $50 to the Connor’s (in India) mission account to go towards something to encourage the four children. We also wrote them Christmas letters during the October conference so that they would get some Christmas encouragement from their friends back home.

4. AQJ our adopted school-In November we had one of the women who is part of the AQJ team go to each class and tell them about the school we have adopted, ways we are helping them and why they need extra support. During this time the children wrote “Thank You” notes to the teachers. We also explained to the children that their monies would be going to basic hygiene products and into take home care packages for the children at the school. Their offering (along with the donation of several local dentists) contributed $55 to help make over 60 soap, wash cloth, deodorant, toothbrush, tooth paste packets for the children. They also were able to contribute several boxes of school supplies.

Their offerings spent over the past six months have totaled $273. We hope you can use this information to share with your children the variety of ways their giving has been used both in our community and around the world.  Also in the coming months we will post both here and on the boards across from the Welcome Station the locations of where our OCC boxes landed.

For Preschool Families

If your children are in the Preschool class during the second hour your children will be working on the following verses.

Now through December 1st they will me memorizing James 1:17 and using this Seeds Family Worship song to learn the words.  At this link you can listen to the song online or buy the song.

http://seedsfamilyworship.bandcamp.com/track/heavenly-lights-james-1-17

December 8th through 29th they will be memorizing Ephesians 2:8 and using La-De-Da from Seeds Family Worship to learn the words. Like the above song, you can listen as much as you want at the site, or download it for $1.

http://seedsfamilyworship.bandcamp.com/track/grace-la-de-da-ephesians-2-8

Enjoy learning these beautiful songs with your children!