Help
your children live for God - CFN Newsletter Week 101
CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK NEWSLETTER 101
> Scripture Union's Terry Clutterham looks at a radical new approach
to helping our children follow Jesus
> News:
> Chris (12) gets biking to raise cash for street kids
> Church of Scotland in care homes crisis
> Scots Christian Cameron hangs on in Big Brother challenge
> Christians join the healing field at Glastonbury
> Christian debt charity wins top award for its work
> Sites:
> Christian
help in combating depression
> A Heart for Children evangelism with CPAS
> Webmonkey - kids' guide to making great websites
> Marriage
MOT: Love ... endures all things
> You've got to laugh: A medical incentive
> Members' Zone latest
OUR
SPONSORS FOR THIS WEEK
... Could be you or your ministry, church or business!
Find out how you can reach thousands via this newsletter for just £50 - mail SteveRogers@christianmedia.org.uk
Dear All
Just penning a quick line to you all before heading off to Wimbledon with my eldest lad (13) - spare us a thought while we're in the queue at some unearthly hour on Saturday morning!
And spare a prayer for your youngsters and their futures, too. Take a look at Terry Clutterham's provocative analysis of how we seek to teach our children, and his radical proposals for handling things a little differently in the days ahead.
Enjoy the latest content - and do let us know what you'd like us to cover in the future. We'd also like to know where you're going this summer, if you're able to get away for a holiday. Camping trip or Bible week, tropical sun or good old UK, let us know by mailing us at info@cfnetwork.co.uk or using the Bulletin Board.
God bless
Russ
Bravo
Christian Family Network
info@cfnetwork.co.uk
http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk
PS Christian
Family Network is here to direct you to the best in parenting,
marriage and family resources; to link you up with other Christian
families up and down the UK; and to help you make the most of
life as a follower of Christ - at home, at work, at school and
college, at play and online.
Your feedback, positive and negative,
enables us to develop CFN in the way that is most useful for you - so please
tell us if we're off the rails or on the button!
And don't forget - if we can pass on material (sample copies of Families Together, leaflets) which will help you tell your friends and your church about CFN, just mail Lyn Bedford at marketing@christianmedia.org.uk and she'll be glad to help you out.
INSIGHT
How
can we help children learn to live for God in the 21st Century?
- TERRY
CLUTTERHAM looks at the way ahead
Children
are astonishing. Their lives are nothing like ours used to be.
They know so much about the world, like the details of the effects of the Iraq
conflict on Iraqi citizens. They can do so much that we can’t, like set
the video to record a TV show. They ask difficult questions like: “How
much do you earn?”. They thrive on choice, like vanilla-flavoured cola
and curry-flavoured crisps. Their lives are full of activity, co-ordinated
by mobile phones, e-mails and instant messaging. They seem so old so young.
Clearly too much knowledge, expertise, freedom, choice and frantic activity
is risky for children – after all, they need the time and space to be
children. But placing responsibility for their own learning into their hands
is nothing new – schools do it all the time. Whilst straight ‘telling’ still
has its place in teaching, children are increasingly becoming directors and
managers of their own learning process, guided by teachers. It’s the shape
of things to come, and it’s good news for us all.
Why? Because not only can this kind of approach help them develop an appetite
for life-long learning but, for children who love God, it can also support
life-long discipleship, energising them to discover more about their faith
and live it out in awesome, wholehearted ways. More than just ‘receivers’ of
the truth about God, children can become active ‘do-ers’ of it.
Is that risky? Certainly – they may go further with God than we ever have!
So what does this mean for the Church today? It forces us to rethink our whole
approach. Parents, teachers and leaders are desperate for children to learn
exactly what they teach them, but let’s get real – children don’t
and they won’t. Just because children shout out the ‘correct answer’ doesn’t
mean they have a clue what it means, or that it will have any lasting effect.
Teaching doesn’t mean that learning is taking place, and learning doesn’t
mean that teaching has taken place.
However, all this ‘unpredictability’ is no excuse for teaching any
old thing in any old way. Our task is to enable children to learn actively
and accurately what God wants to say to them through the Bible, to handle and
work at it themselves, and to live it out creatively. There’s the challenge!
For this to happen, teachers, leaders and parents need to know what God has
to say through the Bible and how children will learn it best. Then they don’t
need to struggle to stay in control, but can safely leave the outcomes to God.
It affects the way we approach the Bible. The Bible is God-centred and children
need constant encouragement and support to handle the big questions about God
the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. Over the years, as I have trained
writers and editors to work on Christian learning materials and worked with
children in small groups, I have suggested they ask eight key questions of
any Bible passage.
- To check out what they are, and assess the implications for our children's work in the future, check out the rest of this article in our Advice section at http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/advice.asp
> THIS WEEK'S NEWS
> Chris
(12) gets biking to raise cash for street kids
Chris
Wilcox, 12, had a capital opportunity to raise money for the Toybox
charity last weekend.
Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story
> Church
of Scotland in care homes crisis
The Church of Scotland is making sweeping changes to its care home provision.
Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/resources.asp for the full story
> Scots
Christian Cameron hangs on in Big Brother challenge
A Big Brother contestant carrying a Bible? Cameron Stout, from Stromness, is
continuing his stint in the Channel 4 "house" after winning audience
support to stay in the show.
Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story
> Christians
join the healing field at Glastonbury
A team of Christians have set up the Coracle Community on the healing field
at this year’s Glastonbury Festival – Europe’s biggest outdoor
music event.
Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story
Christian
debt charity wins top award for its work
National debt counselling charity, Christians Against Poverty, gained a prestigious
award at this year’s National Charity Awards.
Go to http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/news.asp for the full story
> MARRIAGE
MOT
> Check
out our archived marriage tips in the Members'
Zone, plus stacks more marriage resources at http://www.2-in-2-1.co.uk
Love
... endures all things
In the Living Bible these words are translated: “You will always stand
your ground defending him” (or her). Do you stand your ground and defend
your loved one, or are you often tempted to join in the criticism?
My husband and I know most of each other’s faults, but I find it hard
to stomach others criticism of him. I recognise that he makes mistakes, but
I wonder what right others have to attack him – are they so perfect themselves?
When you know someone so well and love them just the same, you see the faults
and weaknesses in context alongside the gifts and qualities.
We try to sort out any disagreements that we have face to face and preferably
in private. To the rest of the world our unity is the most important thing.
Whatever my husband does, he is my husband and I want him to know that I will
stand by him.
So how about you, do you often run each other down in public? Do you seek out
others to get your grumbles off your chest? Or do you have it out in private,
so you can stand united and face life together and at peace?
.......................................................................
Please rate this Ezine at the Cumuli Ezine Finder
http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/ra20836.rate
.......................................................................
> EVENTS
Catch up with the latest in our Events guide at http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/resources.asp
Send
your family/church event to info@cfnetwork.co.uk for
a free listing.
Small groups, growing churches 2004
Almost 1,000 small group leaders enjoyed a day's teaching, inspiration and encouragement as part of the 2003 Small groups, growing churches tour organised in March by Christian Herald, Scripture Union and CPO.
Now plans are underway for more dates in 2004. And the organisers are looking for enthusiastic churches keen to host a training day, and promote it to the surrounding area. You'll need a main meeting place able to hold 2-300, and at least two smaller rooms able to take up to 80 people each.
We're
particularly interested in churches in the following areas:
Exeter, Tonbridge, York, Derby, Leicester, Norwich. If
you think your church could get involved with this exciting
initiative - with some free places for your small group
leaders - mail Lyn Bedford on lynbedford@christianmedia.org.uk or
call her on 01903 602126.
> SITES WORTH SEEING
http://www.gospelcom.net/cdp/
Find out more about the CPAS children's evangelism initiative at the Heart for Children website: www.heartforchildren.com
Webmonkey for Kids, "the fun way to build Web sites," is an entertaining and thorough guide to Web page design and HTML, written with kids in mind, but anyone who needs a quick primer on Web design will find it useful.
> YOU'VE GOT TO LAUGH ...
An older
Jewish man who needed surgery insisted that his son, a renowned
surgeon, perform the operation.
As he lay on the operating table about to receive the anaesthesia he asked
to speak to his son.
"Yes Dad, what is it?"
"Don't be nervous, son, do your best and just remember ... if it doesn't
go well, if something happens to me ... your mother is going to come and live
with you!"
> CHRISTIAN
FAMILY NETWORK THIS WEEK
(MEMBERS' ZONE) - http://www.cfnetwork.co.uk/members/default.asp
> Advice
> Our
new internet savvy column from Eric Spellman continues with an
in-depth look at finding what you're searching for on Google
> How to help your children follow Jesus - SU's Terry Clutterham has some
provocative proposals
> Kate's marriage tips - Love ... endures all things
> Resources
> Elisabeth
Corcoran with more Moments for Mum
> Isn't it time you made a will?
> What teenages really believe ...
> News
> Chris (12) gets biking to raise cash for street kids
> Church of Scotland in care homes crisis
> Scots Christian Cameron hangs on in Big Brother challenge
> Christians join the healing field at Glastonbury
> Christian debt charity wins top award for its work
> News extra: new campaign partner for Operation Christmas Child
> Top
sites this week
> Christian
help in combating depression
> A Heart for Children evangelism with CPAS
> Webmonkey - kids' guide to making great websites
> PLUS new e-mail newsletters:
-
encouragement for women
- help for parents in weighing up what the entertainment world is pushing at
your kids
> Events: More of what's on near you
> Webwatch Index: more than 600 sites at your fingertips
> Site Search Engine: the easy way to trawl our 1,000-page plus archives
Christian
Family Network, Christian Media Centre, Garcia Estate, Canterbury
Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1EH, UK (01903 821082; subscriptions
01903 602136)
HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS NEWSLETTER
Just send an e-mail to leave-cfn-newsletter@cfnetwork.co.uk
©
Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.