Let’s face it, parenting can be hard! There are times when I feel like I am completely failing as a mom. I need to spend more one-on-one time with each one of my children or I should have explained something better. Maybe I shouldn’t have given in or I should have followed through. Am I the only one feeling like this? No, of course not! I speak to parents all the time that feel the same way I do. Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves?
We have all heard the phrase, “it takes a village to raise a child.” The longer I am a parent, the more I understand this saying. I need to lean on Jesus, family, friends, teachers, and my church to come alongside me as I raise my kids. Proverbs 22:6 (ESV), “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Sometimes we just don’t know how to do this!
In Hope Kids, it is our heart to partner with parents! We want to give parents the opportunity to shine; to feel like you have a team of people that are sharing some of the weight.
Here are some ways we want to partner with you:
- Sunday mornings are not always easy. We want you to know that your kids are loved and welcome, no matter what kind of morning they have had. Whether they have a bad attitude or are jumping off the walls, they are welcome. We want you to get ministered to in “big church” and we want to minister to your children in “kids church”. WE got you!
- Take advantage of the Parent Cues that are emailed to you and the Parent Cue App! Often times it is so difficult to have a Bible study or devotional time with your kids; especially if homework time is already a challenge. This can seem like “one more thing” that has to be done. Parent cues are designed to subtly create faith-filled conversations without adding more tasks to your plate. Sometimes there is a conversation cue for while you are driving with your children in the car or for bedtime. We want this to be something that is easy but effective!
- We try to create opportunities for your family to interact with other families in the church. We understand how important it is to build relationships with other families that have similar goals. Family VBS, Family movie nights, and Family date nights (coming soon) are a few events that help us achieve this goal. We encourage you to join us and be a part of a bigger family!
- If you are struggling, we want to pray with you! We want to partner with you in the big and small things. Whatever you are facing with your children, please know that we want to pray with you!
These are just a few ways we can partner with you. Parenting is hard, but it can be so rewarding! Let’s do this together!
Janelle Chavez