Children Matter!

Care for the Family Launches New Course to Support Stepfamilies

Link: Christian Today

     National charity Care for the Family has launched a new special course designed to help engaged couples with children from previous relationships think through some of the issues that will arise as they form a stepfamily.

Stepfamilies are the fastest-growing family type in the UK, and it is predicted that by 2010 there will be more children living in a stepfamily than in a biological family.

Currently four in ten marriages is a remarriage for at least one of the adults and there are around one million dependent stepchildren under 16 years old.

The new course, From This Step Forward, has been created to make up for the lack of suitable marriage preparation material currently available in the UK that is specifically tailored for those who are starting a stepfamily.

Parents Drug Proof their Kids with Care for the Family

Link: Christian Today

     Thanks to Care for the Family’s How to Drug Proof Your Kids (DPYK) programme, concerned parents across the UK are arming themselves with the facts and skills they need to help their children make the best lifestyle choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

As the nation becomes increasingly concerned over the high consumption of primarily alcohol, but also drugs and cigarettes, among young people, it is more important than ever that parents know how to engage with their children on these issues.

Professor Moira Plant, Professor of Alcohol Studies at Bristol University, warned, “There are now young women in their late teens and early 20s developing liver damage that in the past was not being seen until the age of 60 or 70.”

How to Drug Proof Your Kids aims to reverse precisely this kind of worrying development.

Family Devotionals - Parenting

Link: Family Devotionals - Parenting.

This a good resource for leaders seeking to encourage family devotional life - you'll find several creative articles.

Christian Life & Children

Link: Christian Life & Children.

Discussion of Children’s ministry is often reserved for children’s leaders and, perhaps, parents. Christian Life & Children, however, is for every adult church member. It will motivate, encourage and equip us to help the children in our communities to develop their faith.

Inspired by God’s passion for children, this resource highlights the Bible’s guidelines for our role, as individuals and as a church family, in the spiritual growth of children. It offers valuable insights into the world of today’s children, together with guidance on how they learn and grow spiritually. And in a society where increasingly few children attend church, Christian Life & Children is designed to help you and your Christian community to understand that:

    * All children are people – a vital part of God’s creation.
    * All children are able to have a relationship with God at every age & stage.
    * All children have a contribution to make to the life of the Christian community.
    * In today’s world few children are given the opportunity to respond to God through Jesus.
    * Everyone in the Church has a responsibility to care for the young, by prayer, appropriate relationships and leadership.
    * Every church needs a God-given vision for the way to impact the children in their area.

Free Activities for Children by Email

Link: Weekly Whatnot

It doesn't take much to make childhood special and memorable. Your children don't need the best toys money can buy—a bit of paper and glue or a walk in the park will do. Browse through our treasure chest of fun, simple, constructive activities for children and sign up for free weekly updates by e-mail:

Moorlands College - Specialist Skills

Link: Moorlands College - Specialist Skills.

Children's work is never done in isolation. If you or a friend are interested in further training it's worth checking the Moorlands specialist courses

Community and Family

Drawing on biblical perspectives, the course will examine all age communities, how families relate, parenting, issues around divorce and co-habitation, the professional skills required to function effectively as a family worker and, in fact, just about everything to do with working alongside families in the context of their community. Carefully chosen, professionally supervised placements will give hands on experience of community and family work.

Making Memories

Christian Herald
MAKING Memories, a new video and DVD produced by the YMCA  for anyone working with parents, was launched at Liverpool Football Club by its chief executive, Rick Parry. The project stems from YMCA’s Dads and Lads programme, though the video can also be used for dads and daughters! The film came about when LFC chaplain, the Rev Bill Bygroves, ran a Dads and Lads project as part of the club’s community work.

Click link above for more information

Animated wisdom for today?

Scripture Union
There's something for everyone in computer animated films, they appeal to all ages.  While the imagination of their creators knows no bounds, the storylines draw us in with universal themes we can all relate to.  Discover what makes these films so special, and find out what the Bible has to say about issues such as beauty, deception, rivalry and fairytale endings.  Four themes, four group sessions:

    * Finding Nemo
    * Monsters, Inc
    * Shrek and Shrek 2
    * Toy Story and Toy Story 2

When a child becomes an adult

LICC
The LICC web site (link above) is a treasure trove of biblical cultural reflection. We've bought you some of the gems on children and youth.

Growing Pains - Jason Gardner asks what it means to grow up at a time when the boundaries between childhood and adulthood seem increasingly blurred. ‘Adolescence is like a tightrope walk from the secure, safe platform of childhood to adulthood. Suddenly the world becomes a difficult and dangerous balancing act – which the whole world seems to be watching.’ Hazel, 16

A recent foray by the Times into the world of teenagers provided much food for thought, plus a handy arsenal of quotes (like the one above) which will please analysts of youth culture no end. Penny Wark’s report - In Our Own Words: What it’s like to be a teenager (13/10/03) - revealed, in a series of interviews, what teenagers think about sex, drugs, rock’n’roll and, most importantly, growing up.

New Early Years Initiative

Christian Initiatives in Early Years Education
* Offering inspiration, encouragement and support to Christians working in early years provision. * Opportunities to explore ideas, share vision and practice.  * A new network facilitated by CARE for Education and the Evangelical Alliance. To find out more about this growing network click the link above