Your January Resources Are Here!
APRIL FOOLS!!!
Your April Resources Are Here!
Welcome to the month of April and to Spring! You might already know April is the month of blossoming, but did you also know that the name “April” is thought to come from the Latin word “apperire” which means “to open” signifying, for many around the world, the beginning of Spring? Spring is a favorite season for many as it is a season marked by blooming and growth (and allergies). Let’s do our best this month to look past the itchy eyes and yellow dust and instead focus on the season of blooming and growth.
As the kids and teenagers that we serve continue to grow and bloom, there seems to be one area of life that becomes quite significant. In fact, there are some, including us, who might even argue that it’s one of, if not THE, most determinate factors with regard to the paths that our kids and teens take, the choices they make, the direction their lives go, and ultimately the quality of their lives. Proverbs 13:20 says it this way: “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Sure, there are lots of other important things that they need to learn along the way, but who they choose to surround themselves with as they travel through life will have a tremendous impact on the choices they make, the things they are exposed to, and who they become. As Andy Stanley once stated in a sermon on friendship, “The thing that makes friendship so great is the thing that makes friendship so dangerous. When I’m with a friend, I drop my guard. The reason we’re attracted to certain people is because we’re all acceptance magnets. We are repelled by rejection, we are attracted to acceptance, and when I’m with people who accept me, I drop my guard. When I’m with people who accept me, and when you’re with people who accept you, you are the most open to influence than you’ll ever be.” Yes, parents are still at the top of the list when it comes to influencing their children, but our kids and teenagers are searching for acceptance, and they need to have healthy friendships in place in order to fill that need and grow into the best version of themselves.
This month’s M2P resources focus on helping leaders and parents have a new set of thoughts and tools as we help our kids and teens learn how to build and maintain healthy friendships. You want the kids and teenagers in your ministry to grow up to be healthy (physically, spiritually, emotionally) men/women of God who are actively seeking Him to walk along a wise path. Their parents want that as well. In order for our kids and teens to do that, they need to be surrounded by friends who are walking with them and in the same direction as them instead of friends who are actively pulling them away from God’s best for them. As the key adults in their lives, there are things we can do and equip their parents to do that can steer them in the right direction and help them to find their people along the way.
Don’t forget to check out the blog articles, coaching video, online parenting class video, toolbox item, and the latest episode of the M2P Podcast. Remember that we are here to serve you and to help you serve parents, so let us know if there is ever anything we can do for you or your ministry.
Philippians 1:3–11
The M2P Crew
WHAT IS IT?
This month’s toolbox item is a list of practical suggestions for parents as they help their kids and teenagers learn how to build and develop healthy friendships. Parents can incorporate some or all of these ideas into their family rhythm and point the kids and teens in their households to healthy God-honoring friendships. These “10 Things You Can Do to Help Your Kids Build Healthy Friendships” and These “10 Things You Can Do to Help Your Teenagers Build Healthy Friendships” toolbox resources can really make a difference in the lives of kids, teenagers, and their families by calling attention to how they are developing friendships and helping parents better lead them along the way.
HOW TO USE IT
- Download the “10 Things You Can Do to Help Your Kids Build Healthy Friendships” or the These “10 Things You Can Do to Help Your Teenagers Build Healthy Friendships” toolbox resource and post it on your website.
- Email parents a copy of the resource to it and encourage them to incorporate these ideas into their life.
- Print copies of the resource for parents to grab at church.
As we focus this month on what it means for our kids and teenagers to build and develop healthy friendships, we want to share four things that you can do as a ministry leader or volunteer to speak into this incredibly important area of blooming, growth, and life. First, we need to teach it and talk about it often with the kids and teens whom the Lord has placed under our care. We also need to be intentional about creating space in our weekly programming to allow kids and teenagers to connect with one another and build friendships. Third, we need to be helping parents both build healthy friendships themselves and pay attention to what is going on with their kids and teens. Finally, as ministry leaders, we need to have healthy friendships ourselves that will sustain us as we do the work that God has called us to do. This is an important conversation, and this month’s videos, blogs, and other resources will help you elevate this conversation and equip yourself, your volunteers, and the parents in your ministry with a few tools to help navigate this important topic.
Every parent wants the best for their child. For Christian parents, this means that they also desire for their kids and teenagers to have healthy relationships that will help them grow into the people God wants them to be. The only problem is that many of these same parents don’t know where to start, think it’s too late to engage, or underestimate their own influence in the life of their child. Meanwhile, their kids and teens are left defenseless and fall into relationships that are unhealthy, draining, or pulling them in the wrong direction. Our April Online Parenting Class video will remind the parents within your ministry about the importance of paying close attention to the friendships that their kids or teenagers are developing. It will also equip parents with some words and ways to lean into this particular area and leverage their parental influence. The people our kids and students choose to do life with matters. Their friends truly will impact the decisions, direction, and quality of their life. We, as ministry leaders, have the opportunity (and responsibility) to come alongside these parents and provide them with the resources and encouragement they need to help their kids and teenagers make wise choices in friendships.
New blog posts coming this month:
- For Kids’ Ministry Leaders: “Faith-Filled Friendships: Helping the Kids in Your Ministry Make Friends” by Amy Diller
- For Kids’ Ministry Parents: “Tools to Help Your Child Make Good Friends” by Amy Diller
- For Youth Ministry Leaders: “Created for Community” by Karin Sasser
- For Youth Ministry Parents: “One Another” by Karin Sasser
To view, click HERE.