Courses

Course 1

To train parents and grandparents to recognize their challenging callings as ministers in their own family, realizing they have to compete with people seeking to take advantage of their offspring.

Course 1 – Sessions 1-6
Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 Session 6

Session 1: Introduction to Course 1

This session probes how important the ministries of parents and grandparents is to our society and to our churches. It wonders why there is not more emphasis on this. It reveals how family leaders no longer have the influence they once had on their children and that this has left young people much more vulnerable to evildoers.

     Session One, course One, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session One, Course One, Leader’s Guide
Session One, Course One, Written Material
Session One, Course One, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Two, Wolves, Course One

Session 2: Wolves

This session reveals the competition parents and grandparents have. Other people are targeting their offspring just as wolves target their prey. Some of the wolves are revealed here to help us see the varied dangers they put young people in. Family leaders must take seriously the threat this poses for their loved ones.

   Session Two, Course One, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session Two, Course One, Written Material
Session Two, Course One, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Three, Sheep, Course One

Session 3: Sheep

To discover the necessary wise skills God has provided so their offspring can be equipped to avoid being entrapped, addicted and/or harmed or broken down.

 Session Three, Course One, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session Three, Course One, Written Material
Session Three, Course One, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Four, Shepherds, Course One

Session 4: Shepherds

  1. Recognizing how important we parents and grandparents are in meeting the many needs a child has in getting through all that child’s growing up years.
  2. To ask ourselves to courageously confront the challenges both we and our offspring face as we live in this world.
  3. To point out what we have discovered in God’s word that helps us deal with life’s realities and pass that on to our offspring.

Session Four, Course One, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session Four, Course One, Written Material
Questionnaire for Session Five, What is Expected of a Congregation, Course One

Session 5: What is Expected of a Congregation

To lay before a congregation the possibility of exploring a new frontier as a way of involving all its lay members more fully in the dynamic rhythms of the congregation’s life. The early church finally came to look at what it was all the members were faced with in their lives. This showed them the need to be training and equipping them. 

Session Five, Course One, Presentation 

Supporting Material

Session Five, Course One, Written Material
Questionnaire for Session Six, What does God Expect of Parents and Grandparents, Course One

Session 6: What Does God Expect of Parents and Grandparents?

  1. To clarify Biblical teachings on what God wants a parent and grandparent to be about.
  2. To identify Bible passages which spell this out.
  3. To help family leaders see the importance of what they are or could be doing as instruments of impacting future generations

Session Six, Course One, Presentation 

Supporting Material

Session Six, Course One, Written Material
Questionnaire for Session Seven, Wife and Husband, Course One
Course 1 – Sessions 7-12
Session 7 Session 8 Session 9 Session 10 Session 11 Session 12

Session 7: Ministry of a Wife and Husband

The core of what happens in the lives of children and the life of a congregation is based on what is going on between husbands and wives. Therefore this lesson seeks to define in a more pronounced Christian way what is involved in healthy marriage relationships.

     Session Seven, Course One, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session Seven, Course One, Leader’s Guide
Session Seven, Course One, Written Material
Session Seven, Course One, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Eight, Fathers, Course One

Session 8: Father’s

We need Christian fathers to realize how important they are, what they provide and what their challenges are. It is vital that this often overlooked emphasis on the leadership God has them give needs to be addressed and discussed. Fathers make a big difference, positive or negative.

   Session Eight, Course One, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session Eight, Course One, Leaders Guide
Session Eight, Course One, Written Material
Session Eight, Course One, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Nine, Mother’s Ministries, Course One

Session 9: Mother’s Ministries

The role of a Christian mother for her family is often taken for granted or underestimated. This sessions seeks to bring truth to bear on what a mother’s value for her family actually is. God has given us mothers for a reason.

 Session Nine, Course One, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session Nine, Course One, Leaders Guide
Session Nine, Course One, Written Material
Session Nine, Course One, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Ten, Children’s Ministry, Course One

Session 10: Children’s Ministry

This session asserts that children have a ministry of their own. What is involved when it is commanded that children are to obey and honor their parent(s). When they come to see how the Gospel and God’s promise is connected to that. Also, what they bring to a family.

Session Ten, Course One, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session Ten, Course One, Leaders Guide
Session Ten, Course One, Written Material
Session Ten, Course One, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Eleven, Ministry of Grandparents, Course One

Session 11: Ministry of Grandparents

What God expects of grandparents is often overlooked or minimized. This session seeks to declare what it is grandparents are to provide in passing on the faith, in being there for their grandchildren and in so doing impact future generations.

Session Eleven, Course One, Presentation 

Supporting Material

Session Eleven, Course One, Leaders Guide
Session Eleven, Course One, Written Material
Session Eleven, Course One, Supplemental Material Questionnaire for Session Twelve, Valuing A Child, Course One

Session 12: Valuing A Child

In this session we recognize three truths. Our children and grandchildren are really valuable 1. To us, 2. To Jesus and 3. Though taxing and challenging, whatever we can pass on and do with our offspring becomes what God in love wants to bring to them through us.

Session Twelve, Course One, Presentation 

Supporting Material

Session Twelve, Course One, Leaders Guide
Session Twelve, Course One, Written Material
Session Twelve, Course One, Supplemental Material

Course 2

To equip parents and grandparents to prepare their offspring teaching them in the Christian faith, modeling that faith, and sharing wise tools with them so they know how to stay safe.

Course 2 – Sessions 1-4
Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4

Session 1: Prepare

This session uplifts the value of being prepared, so one knows what to do when confronted with dangerous situation and has the wherewithal and the courage to do it.

Session One, Course Two, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session One, Course Two, Leaders Guide
Session One, Course Two, Written Material
Session One, Course Two, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Two, Bartimaeus-and-Zacchaeus, Course Two

Session 2:  Our Identity in Christ

Meeting Christ changes everything. God’s love for us is made real when in baptism we are adopted into the family of God and the salvation Jesus won for us. Being “in Christ”, a child of God, becomes the most important reality we have in our lives. We claim it as the primary tool or weapon we have to keep us armed with truth and acceptance, thereby enabling us to stand firm against evil attacks.

Session Two, Course Two, Presentation

Supporting Material

TBD – Session Two, Course Two, Leaders Guide
Session Two, Course Two, Written Material
Session Two, Course Two, Supplemental Material
TBD – Questionnaire for Session Three, Course Two

Session 3: Growing Up Into One’s Identity in Christ

When parents and grandparents do a good job in continually helping their baptized offspring recognize themselves as children of God two things can now happen. The child is now prepared to take further steps down the road of faith, following Christ.  The child also is armed, knowing who they are in Christ, to fend off all those seeking to take advantage of them.

Session Three, Course Two, Presentation

Supporting Material

TBD – Session Three, Course Two, Leaders Guide
Session Three, Course Two, Written Material
Session Three, Course Two, Supplemental Material
Questionnaire for Session Four, Course Two

Session 4: Value of Contentment – The Problem

The reality that we are often discontented and have hidden needs opens the door of people to take advantage of us. There is great value in being content, not wanting more. It is something for us to learn as Christians as we go through life.  

Session Four, Course Two, Presentation

Supporting Material

Session Four, Course Two, Leaders Guide
Session Four, Course Two, Written Material
Session Four, Course Two, Supplemental Material
TBD – Questionnaire for Session Five, Course Two