Family Resources - Church of the Open Door

Leading families in the adventure of becoming like Christ

Family Resources

Welcome

Welcome to our Family Resources!

Thank you so much for your interest in leading your family in the adventure of becoming like Christ! We love that you decided to check out our content. Below you will find a variety of helpful resources that will equip you further on your parenting journey. More than anything, we'd just like to connect with you and answer any questions you may have. As such, please feel free to reach out to any of our campus family ministry staff members. All our contact information are below. We want to hear from you! Thank you for proactively embracing your parenting role and know that our prayers are with you!

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Here are some tools and practices we love!

FIVE STAGES OF PARENTING

TRAIN THEM TO MAKE WISE DECISIONS

Parenting goals: Helping them feel loved; begin to learn to make wise decisions.

Discipleship goals: Learn and reflect God’s character and that He has a purpose for their life. Learn grace. Surrender their life to God. Praying and learning the Bible.

Training skills: Attentive observation, showing love and affection, teaching Scripture and life skills, positive reinforcement, delegation, letting them fail, loving discipline, wisdom.

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COACH THEM IN WISDOM

Parenting goals: Helping them feel accepted, keeping communication open, choosing healthy friends, making wise decisions, pursue God’s purpose for their life.

Discipleship goals: Know their Bible; grow in grace. Help them live out their faith in word and action, learn to trust God during crisis and difficulty, grow in prayer, live a God centered life; growing in Christlikeness.

Training skills: Attentive observation, showing love and affection, positive reinforcement, delegation, letting them fail, loving discipline, letting go, communication, wisdom, trusting God.

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HELP THEM DISCERN

Parenting goals: Help them feel supported, be available to help them to discern.

Discipleship goals: To feed themself from the Bible and do it consistently; joyfully and confidently trust God during crisis and difficulty; live a God centered life; growing in Christlikeness; discipling others.

Training skills: Letting go, showing love and affection, wisdom, trusting God.

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MORE INFO

Most parents struggle with knowing “how” to raise their kids and wish there was a pattern or plan which they could follow that would help them in this all-important task God has given them. But very few parents today know that such a plan exists in the way God “parented” the ancient nation of Israel. As God birthed and formed the ancient nation of Israel, He began to refer to Himself as Israel’s father and the nation as “the children of Israel.” He then began to progressively roll out through the Old Testament a 7 part plan of how He was “parenting” His “children” including the command for the people of Israel to follow this “plan” by passing it along to their children, generation after generation. His intention was that each generation would nurture their children to live God-centered lives. We can see many parts of this plan in the way Joseph and Mary parented Jesus. We can follow this plan today not as a “guaranteed formulaic” approach but as a wise, God-authored plan to help us raise kids who fulfill their purpose for being on this earth.

God’s Plan to train Israel to live God-centered lives:

Grace as the foundation of a God-centered life
Scripture immersion to form a God-centered life
Life-Giving practices to reinforce a God-centered life
Worshipping community to emphasize a God-centered life
Meaningful customs to celebrate a God-centered life
Loving discipline to cultivate a God-centered life
Relationships to support a God-centered life

Church of the Open Door cares for families because God created families and children are close to the heart of Jesus -- in fact, Jesus tells the crowd that whoever welcomes the children, welcomes Him (Luke 9:48)! We believe children are created in God's image and with great purpose (Ephesians 2:10). As the world teaches children differently, Church of the Open Door cares for and fights for children and families by partnering with them in the teaching of God's word and discipling them in the adventure of becoming like Christ; both in the home and at church.

"Behold, Children are a heritage from the lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth" (Psalm 127:3-5).

All children no matter their age have been entrusted to us so that we may equip them with all the necessary training in order to pass on God’s heritage to the next generation. He made them In his image, He formed their inner parts and created them fearfully and wonderful so that they live to glorify his good and holy name at every stage of their lives. Children are our responsibility, teenagers are our reflection and as a adults they become our reminder.

The family was God's idea, and by His grace the family serves as a blessing for people around the world, many of whom do not believe in Jesus. You can love and care for your children whether or not you believe in God and follow Jesus, His Son. But, as is true in all our other relationships, our self-centeredness, which the Bible calls sin, will cause that relationship to function in ways it was never intended to--ways that don't lead to the flourishing of our children. Many people are parenting in the way that feels right to them, or the way that they were taught, or in response to the way that they were taught! Yet "there is a way that appears right, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12).

Because we believe that the goal of parenting is to nurture God-centered children, we believe that the kind of parenting God desires builds on the parents' own God-centeredness. No parents are perfect; we all need God's grace on our parenting journey. If you're interesting in learning how God's grace can become the foundation for your life and your parenting, we'd love to talk with you! Text "JESUS" to 440.323.4644 to start the conversation today!