The month of December can often be full of lots of activity both at church and at home. The chaos of the holidays can push us and the families we serve to live at a pace that will drain us if we’re not careful. We all know that we need rest, and we need a rest that focuses on God and the peace that only He can give. This month M2P is providing you with tools and resources that will help you encourage parents to lead the way in experiencing and modeling rest in their families. We are challenging you as a ministry leader to take some time to step into a real rest yourself. This year let’s make the holidays about more than just decorations, events, festivities, and busyness. Let’s be intentional about slowing down, catching our breath, and carving out the time to experience Emmanuel, God with us. Let’s learn how to rest in Him.
For more on this topic, 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.
Merry Christmas,
The M2P Team
WHAT IS IT?
This A Personal Retreat is designed to help you and the parents serve you take an intentional step into rest by carving out some specific time to look back at the year, evaluate how God has worked in you, and look ahead to what God may want to do in you this next year. This retreat can be done in one session over a few hours or in smaller chunks over a few days. The week after Christmas is a great time to do this personal retreat in order to set yourself up for a great launch into 2023.
HOW TO USE IT
In this month’s coaching video, we focus on Psalm 46:10, where we are encouraged to go in a direction we don’t often go. “He says, ‘Be still and know that I am God.'” The God of the universe is directing us to stop and acknowledge Him for who He is. If we’re honest, stopping and resting are hard for ministry leaders. We have so much to do and so many kids, students, families, and volunteers to tend to that we often miss the very essence of what God wants us to do. He simply wants us to learn how to be in His presence and lead from that place. Take a few minutes this month to watch the video and honestly reflect on whether you have learned how to live from a place of rest.
Talk to a parent about their life, and they will almost always say some version of, “We’re really busy.” They are busy with work, busy with their kids’ or teenagers’ activities, and busy with their own social life. Heck, we can often pile on and give them things to be busy with at church. Rarely do they take quality time to slow down and truly rest in God. This month’s Online Parenting Class video challenges parents to take some time to evaluate their pace of life and take some time this holiday season to just rest. How can they slow down a bit and enjoy the gift and presence of God in their lives? Then we encourage them to make resting in God a normal and natural part of life so they can lead their families towards experiencing this same rest.
New blog posts coming this month:
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