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Archive for May, 2010
Caption Please…
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Ministry 101
When stepping out in faith…”Look before you leap”
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What does it take to be a great Student Ministry Leader…
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010What does it take to be a great Student Ministry Leader… probably not what you think. Here’s a great video posted by Anthony Prince, Director of Children’s Ministry at Glenkirk Church in the foothills of Los Angeles, CA. This video is embedded in a great article call Top 10 Reasons I want you on Staff. Great stuff, great message…and of coarse really funny!
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Indiana unwed mother households exceed national rate
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University has released some statistics about Hoosier moms.
It says more than 42 percent of Indiana babies were born to unmarried mothers in 2007, higher than the national average of 40 percent. (Read More southbendtribune.com)
Just quick statistic to remind all of us in “Family Ministry” why we’re still doing what we do.
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The Personal Effects of Parenting Styles Part 2
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
I was raised in an Authoritative Grace-Based home. My parents had clearly defined rules and expectations of their children. Many of these expectations could easily be found in the Bible. God’s Word was considered the ultimate authority in our home. However, these rules were not without a healthy emphasis on relationships. The ultimate relationship that was emphasized was our relationship with God and secondly with each other. My parents modeled God’s grace to their children daily. My parent’s walked with their children through difficult decisions, allowing them to have ownership in the responsibility. They were rarely forceful and authoritarian in their approach to guidance.
In many regards, my parents’ parenting style has had significant influence in my own personal parenting style. I have adopted many aspects of their style, as well as some aspects that build off of their style. Like my parents, my wife and I would consider our personal parenting style to be that of an Authoritative Grace-Based style. Many of the differences found in our parenting style can be found reflective of the parenting styles of my wife’s parents. As a couple, we have discussed in great length both the positive and negative effects of how we were raised and have chosen to adopt the positive from both our families’ styles.
One aspect that defines our parenting style is purpose. We believe that we are all created with a purpose, which is to live lives that are owned by God (2 Peter 2:9, New American Standard Version). It is our belief that as parents, we have a responsibility to raise our children in such a way as to instill purpose in the hearts of our children. We daily strive to teach, show, and remind them that they are possessions of God that were created to be used by Him to advance His kingdom here on earth. We believe this is not only be biblical, but also practical.
Authoritative parents tend to communicate a more positive outlook to their offspring than less Authoritative parents. There is significant research that indicates a connection between the well-being that occurs via the Authoritative parenting style and optimism and self worth (Baldwin et at., 2004). We believe that children who are raised with a healthy sense of self worth will be better prepared to face many of the challenges that they face as they enter into adulthood.
In conclusion, although there has been significant research in the area of parenting styles there is still much work to be done. Parenting styles need to be a focus of attention in the mental health settings in the future. Current research often assesses the parenting style of mothers and assumes that the fathers parent the same way. Unfortunately, there is very little information to show this assumption to be accurate (Simons, & Conger, 2007). Further research in this field would be beneficial for families as they look forward to rearing their children. Many parents have certain qualities they desire to emulate as parents. Through further research, parents may gain a better understanding in how to evaluate and diagnose their own personal parenting style.
References
Baldwin, D., McIntyre, A., & Hardaway, E. (2004). Perceived parenting styles on college students’ optimism. College Student Journal, 41(3)
Ho, C., Bluestein, D., &Jenkins, J. (2008). Cultural differences in the relationship between parenting and children’s behavior. Developmental Psychology, 44(2), 507-522.
Kimmel, T. (2004). Grace-Based Parenting. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group.
Leman, K (2000). Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours. Grand Rapids, MI:
Simons, L., & Conger, R. (2007). Linking mother-father differences in parenting to a typology of family parenting styles and adolescence. Journal of Family Issues, 28,(212-241) Retrieved September, 16, 2008, from http://jfi.sagepub.com
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