family vision workshops
>> Friday, July 17, 2009
Going on two years ago, Hubby and I attended a Family Vision Workshop at the church where he is a pastor.
Our congregation places a strong focus on establishing biblical family values among our members, and reunifying biblical family leadership (fathers and mothers) to take charge of the family unit. So every year we host a Family Vision Workshop, presented by Greg Gunn and Mark Naylor.
The Family Vision Workshop is built around the premise that "God wants every family to experience the peace that comes from the harmony He provides when we know His purpose and are fulfilling it within our families. Great families don't happen by accident."
And in today's world of broken relationships, shattered marriages and absent family structure, Christians who want to keep their family together with strong relationships have got to stand up and take some aggressive action.
Family Vision suggests that, while everyone still has free choice and could choose to reject healthy values, Christian families CAN do things to strengthen the chance that their kids will choose to follow God.
It's about planning how you're going to leave a legacy of faithful God-worshipping for the next several generations. It's about getting out of "surviving until the end of the day" mode, and stepping back to make a strategy - a battle plan, if you will.
So in the workshop, each family creates a vision statement, a mission statement, and a set of core values that they feel describes what they want to establish in their home. And then they find a way to display those statements prominently for everyone to see.
It's like your family "coat of arms" or your clan's crest.
It's about making your kids feel excited to be a part of your family. 'Cause THIS family's going somewhere, we have a purpose and a goal. Letting kids know that we are flawed humans, yes, but we are an AWESOME family. It's about giving kids a sense of ownership and presence.
We loved the workshop. I went into it thinking, "Okay, I've read Adventist Home, and Child Guidance, and John Rosemond's books, and Gary Ezzo's books, and a whole slew of other love language books and womanhood books and wife books and husband books and just about every other family-help book - what could this POSSIBLY have to say that I haven't already heard?"
But it was pretty awesome. Each couple/family has exercises to discover their family mission and vision statements. It's harder than you think!
If you haven't heard of the Family Vision ministry, I'd check 'em out. Go to: http://www.familyvisionnow.com/. Maybe bring them to your church. Or if you live in the Atlanta area, you could come to ours next year.
You won't regret it!
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