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ParentingIs there a relationship more challenging than that of the parent and child?
Although not everyone will be a parent, we all have them. Some of them are by birth, others through adoption. Some are informal relationships, others are legal guardians. No matter what kind of parent you had or have become, God gives all parents an awesome privilege and responsibility. At NorthStar Community, we think families are extremely important. Whether traditional or not, we believe God provides us with family to teach us, love us, and cheer us as we develop into our full God-created identity. Sometimes this teaching, loving and cheering is messy. Most parents eventually bemoan the fact that their little bundle of joy didn’t come with better instructions!
Our NorthStar Community parents have found some resources that we’d like to recommend. Check out our recommended reading sections. Visit our media store. Classes and workshops are held periodically, so check out our support groups and virtual classes to see if we have any opportunities coming up soon. Join our email list to receive our monthly enewsletter.
SPECIAL UPDATE FOR PARENTS - TEEN DATING VIOLENCE Hello Moms and Dads, We all want the best for our kids. When they begin to show a romantic interest in another person, we often pray that they'll find a spouse that honors God and honors our son or daughter. We are diligent to keep our eyes open, knowing their emotional immaturity and infatuation can keep our kids from seeing and responding to relational "red flags". The violent death of Yeardley Love, a star lacrosse player for the University of Virginia has brought to the forefront a very disturbing reality. Many of our kids are involved in abusive dating relationships. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1.5 million high school students report physical abuse from a romantic partner each year. The National Council on Crime and Deliquency reports that 1 in 3 adolescent girls report some form of abuse by someone they are seeing (dating). These stats are more than alarming. They demand that we as parents be more active in the lives of our kids, especially as they beging to date. There were many signs that were ignored in Yeardley Love's tragic case...signs that could be present in the relationships of our own sons and daughters. Please take the time to look over the articles and videos shared below. Each link will take you to an online article. The video from the Today Show is particularly good. National Youth Violence Prevention Center Suite 101 Article on Abusive Relationships New York Times Article from January 2009 Interim Pastor for Student Ministries Bon Air Baptist Church Richmond, VA www.babcstudents.org |
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