Pastor Al Paulauski, From Your Pal Pastor Al

Pastor Al Paulauski

From Your Pal June 2008

Family Play Time

     How many times have you heard from your son or daughter when you come home from work, "Hey mom/dad, let's go outside and play? Let's play a game? Let's go do something as a family tonight?" Okay, some of you may not get this like I do with my two little ones because you have teenagers, but they still want to have fun with their families.
     This may sound like an oversimplification, but the family that isn't "working" is the family that isn't playing together. Playing together is an essential trait of happy, healthy families. Certainly our children need to do their chores, and of course they need discipline and consistency, but what they also need desperately from their parents is a "family fun time."
     A great thing that happens to families when they play together: They begin to talk, laugh, and lighten up. Family memories are built, inside jokes are shared, and serious moments of intimacy are communicate. Families need special times together to build life long memories and to play together.
     As most experts will tell you, a family that plays together stays together. But I would add that a family that plays together will also be much more happy and healthy. For many families, play is the missing ingredient to glue the family together. Play opens closed spirits and heals broken marriages.
     We know instinctively that play produces togetherness and support. We know that when we play together, we have a deeper sense of belonging and community in the family. Parents must proactively work at making a sense of belonging and community one of their key goals for family togetherness.
     Playing together as a family may open up the communication lines better than anything else you try, so now is the time to be proactive and create those family fun days and events that provide the catalyst for more effective communication. Do whatever it takes to keep the communication lines open, even if it means picking up a basketball or going to the park on a regular basis. Playing together and having a good time just may be the safety net you need to make a difference in your child's life.
     So what kinds of fun activities can be planned for a "Family Fun Night?" The sky is the limit! "Family Fun Nights" don't have to be extravagant or break the bank. You can do the "oldies but goodies" (movies, dinner, picnic, ice cream, play a game), or you can be more creative and make up your own fun times. Whatever it may be, make a commitment to play more as a family.

Youth
June Highlights

Parents' Meeting

If you are a parent of a teenager, or have a child that will be going into 6th grade next school year, you are invited to our next Parents' Meeting on Sunday, June 8th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the bullpen area downstairs. As we do three times a year, we will be gathering for a time of encouragement, we will be taking a look ahead at what's going on in 876 Student Ministries, and we will have a time of question and answer. We will also be serving a light lunch for you and your children if you stay for the meeting. Please join us.

Missions Trip Information

By this time, every student going on the missions trip should be paid in full, have all their appropriate forms turned in, and have purchased their passports. We are well on our way to being ready for the trip. Just a reminder though, we currently have one more training session planned and it is EXTREMELY important for all members of our trip to be present. It will be on Friday, June 20th from 11:30-4 pm. We may also have to add one more training session.

Impact 101

Every school year, as a part of our plan to help get students going down the path towards discipleship, we run a program called Impact 101. It helps students learn how to pray, read their Bibles, share their faith, memorize scripture, and much more. However, unlike past years, we will be teaching Impact during the summer this year. We will start on Sunday, June. 8th after our Parents' Meeting from 1-3 pm. Then, starting June 18th we will be teaching it every Wednesday night before youth group from 4-6 pm at the church. Our class is sure to get your student developing spiritual habits they need now and for the rest of their lives. Class size is limited to the first eight students, so have your teenager sign up NOW!