The big idea of the Family Matters Initiative is to invest in families as the foundation and the future of the Church. We want to strengthen the families and encourage the parents which we hope will lead to discipleship of the children. The “old plan” of hoping parents and kids figure it out isn’t working. We believe that most parents aren’t discipling their children because they simply don’t know how. In our fast-paced society it’s one more thing they have to figure out and they haven’t made the time. The hope of the Family Matters Initiative (FMI) is that we will help parents make the time, give them the resources they need, and provide a network of parents to help encourage them on their discipleship journey. We want parents to feel like they have the know-how to disciple their kids and we want the kids to be excited about doing it with their parents. 

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Family Matters Details:

• Family Matters Gatherings will happen quarterly starting January 28th (future gatherings will be on April 21st and August 25th.)

• Family Matters Gatherings will be scheduled on Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00 PM

• During a Family Matters Gathering the kids would break off for a period of time and we would provide a fun, exciting activity for them (inflatable, bubble bus, etc.) while we invest in and encourage the parents. 

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FAQ's:

• What would a Family Matters Gathering Look Like?

  • All together in the Auditorium for 30 to 40 minutes with prayer, worship and a family activity​

  • Kids and Adults split up for 30 to 40 minutes for the kids to have something fun and engaging to do and parents are poured into, encouraged, and given a "battle plan" for the next quarter. We want to empower the parents during this time to feel like discipleship of their children is not an impossible task but it is achievable for them. 

  • Reconvene in the auditorium for closing thoughts and prayer

• So we meet just once a quarter?

  • ​Yes… and no. While the whole family would meet together once a quarter Moms and Dads would be encouraged to attend quarterly gatherings just for them as well.

    • Mom Gatherings are scheduled for February 25th, May 19th, and October 27th.

    • Dad Gatherings are scheduled for March 24th, June 30th, and November  24th.

• What would the "battle plan" look like that's given to parents?

  • As of right now, our hope is to build on to what our children learn in Faith Factory. The hope is to encourage scripture memorization, practical application of scripture, and theological knowledge (knowing about God). This may change as we continue with this initiative moving forward. We could also jump into catechisms and incorporate themes around big Christian events (i.e. Easter, Advent, Christmas, etc.)