Influences

So I’ve been experiencing something the past few years. It seems like the older I get, the more I catch myself in situations acting exactly like my dad. The good news is that I love my dad. He is a great follower of Jesus, husband, father, role model, and more. It’s that as I mature as a husband and father myself, I am beginning to pinpoint real ways he has had an influence on me.

This realization supports something that I have known for a long time. It’s a research-backed fact that we work to incorporate into our next generation ministries.

Parents are the #1 influence in the life of a child.

This fact may seem matter-of-fact, but it is so important to what we do. Since parents can be a positive influence on their children, we see it as vital that we work to effectively minister to and support parents.

To that end, I am excited to share not one, but two upcoming initiatives we are launching for parents of kids and teenagers!

The first initiative is a new Parents Chit Chat Cafe group meeting concurrent with Awana. From 6:00-7:15 pm each Wednesday, our very own Candace Jeancake will be leading relevant discussions in a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere in the Family Life Center, just inside from the playground.

Our second initiative is a series of free, live webinars about parenting in the unique phase your child(ren) are in today. Visit our website at ibcsav.com/phasewebinar for more information and to get signed up. The webinars we have scheduled are:

• Parenting in the Preschool Phase - Monday, November 6 from 8-9 pm
• Parenting in the Elementary Phase - Tuesday, November 7 from 8-9 pm
• Parenting in the Middle School Phase - Thursday, November 9 from 8-9 pm
• Parenting in the High School Phase - Friday, November 10 from 8-9 pm

And even if you aren’t able to join us live, we’ll have session recordings on our website too!

Our hope is that these two new initiatives will spark great conversations and lead to spiritual growth as we support parents in being positive influences in the lives of their kids!