Family Discipleship June 2012 Newsletter

A Father’s Day Call to Bless
By Tim Held, North Campus Elder

 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear—Ephesians 4:29

This command is clearly for all believers, but the aim of this Father’s Day article is to apply it to marriages, because at Bethlehem we love to exhort marriages to reflect the beauty and fidelity of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33; Genesis 2:24).

My father modeled this command, especially the way he spoke to and about my mother in front of my brother and me. Truthfully, I cannot recall dad ever speaking corruptly about my mother.  What about the rest of us?  

How often do we complain about our wives or subtly cut them down? Do you make jokes at her expense? Do you express frustration because she doesn’t measure up? Do you compare her to others? Is your sacrificial and verbalized love for her conditional on how respected you feel?

Brothers, this is corrupting marriage talk. In fact, we see in verse 30 that it grieves the Holy Spirit. Conversely, what should our marriage talk do? It should build her up. It is tailored to the occasion. It transmits grace. Wow, what a difference!

Consider too that our children will one day imitate our marriage speech. Sons need us to model with gracious words how to love a wife. Our daughters need intimacy with us when they are insecure; and for them it likely starts with how we speak to their mother. All our children need to hear us protect our wives’ honor, regardless of her shortcomings. As fathers, the force of our words to bless or curse our marriages has generational implications.

My father’s influence in this area is still producing grace. I have always been sensitive to not speak corrupting words about or to my wife. And by God’s grace we hear our sons leading in their adult dating and engagement relationships in the same way. What a blessed spiritual legacy of one father. What will be your family legacy in this area?

Let us take the occasion of Father’s Day to consider our marriage speech, remembering that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:43-45). This means that even our kind words will betray us if they are not born from a heart that loves as Christ loves. The good news is that as Christian men we have the Holy Spirit in us, and the new covenant embossed on our hearts. Yield to both; praying that our words will produce washing grace to our wives and a loving legacy for generations to come.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Open House for Joyce Heinrich
June 9, 2012; 7:00-8:30pm
Downtown Campus, Main Hall
Join us for a reception as we give thanks to God for the 10-year ministry anniversary of Joyce Heinrich, who serves as Bethlehem's Minister for Early Childhood.

Your testimony is needed!
CDG is looking for parents who have a testimony of how a workbook or journal has benefitted their son or daughter. If you would be willing to share such a testimony, please contact Rick Busch at 612-703-7591.

Where will your children be in the fall?
The Family Registration Form registers your children for the fall in addition to helping us adequately staff those classrooms for ministry (join us September 16 for a Sunday School Parent Orientation and September 5 for the first Wednesday Connection). Please complete the registration as soon as you are able.

Sr High Summer Events
Sup n' Stuffs, Overflows and Fellowship Gatherings for those entering Grade 9 through graduating seniors. If you did not receive a hard copy of this calendar in the mail, pick one up at the Information Booth or contact Emily Weller.

Disciplines for Life Retreat
Fri–Sat, July 27–28 All Campuses, for those entering Grades 9–12, Edenwood Center, Eden Prairie. For more information, contact Kevin Dau (612-338-7653 x493).

Registration is now open for the 4:12 Young Men’s Conference Fri–Sat, Aug 10/11, Downtown Campus. Contact Betty Dodge (612-338-7653 x490) for more information.

CALENDAR AND EVENTS
Visit our website for June/July Family Discipleship calendar items.

Highlights

Fri, June 8 Baccalaureate Service and Reception Downtown Campus for all campuses. All are invited. Special speaker: Jordan Thomas from TCT church plant Grace Church in Memphis, TN.

Sun, June 10 Last Day of Sunday School. (Parents, please remember to take home your child’s workbook.)

Sun–Fri, June 17–22 Youth Summer Camp Shetek Baptist Camp, Slayton, MN. (Registration is closed.)

Tues, June 19 Sr High Sup ‘N Stuff Begins

Sat, June 23 Boy Scout Canoe Trip from Taylor Falls (Mandatory for BWCA participants)

Thurs, June 28 Jr High JAMS Begins, All Campuses, Upcoming Grades 7–9

Mon–Fri, July 9–13, Music Camp North Campus, all campuses, for children entering grades 2–6 in Fall 2012. Registration due June 25.

Sun–Sat, July 15–21 Boy Scout Summer Camp at Many Point

Saturday, Aug 4 Foundation Builders 1 (Child Dedication Seminar), Downtown Campus

Sat–Sat, August 4–11 Boy Scout Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

OPPORTUNITIES
Summer Outreach:

Nursery Help Needed
Opportunities to serve are available especially as the end of the school year approaches. Interested? Contact Angela Shambro (Downtown), Carmen Tomaszewski (North) or Bonnie Williams (South).

Union Gospel Mission (UGM) Outreach
Young adults, youth, and families are invited to serve the clients of UGM on June 17, 3:30pm. Meet at the Downtown Campus kitchen to prepare sack dinners and transport them to serve at the Mission. Learn more.

RESOURCES
Featured Parenting Resources
recommended by Sally Michael, Minister for Resources and Program Development

What is your vision for your family? Without an intentional, defined vision, Dr. Rob Rienow says in Visionary Parenting, “we run the risk of ending up with a family filled with achievement, recreation, and niceness.” In other words, we risk trading what is best for what is good. Rob Rienow’s desire is to inspire parents with the truth that “God has a far grander plan for us and for our children.” He also aims to define a biblical vision for families, and to give practical encouragement of how to pursue that vision. Well worth reading, Visionary Parenting is simple, straight forward, and inspiring.

Don’t Waste Your Summer…
Don’t you love summer? Your children can put away the “have to read” books that school demands and the intense schedule of the school year, and have long leisurely hours to…read! Reading lots of books is one great way to spend the summer. The following list of books are some that your children can read or you can read together that will not only give them the pleasure of reading, but also nurture their souls and character. (The list progresses from younger to older readers.)

•     Hero Tales, A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes (Vol. 1-4)—Dave and Neta Johnson
•     Tales of the Kingdom—David and Karen Mains (Also sequels: Tales of the Resistance; Tales of the Restoration)
•     God Knows My Size! Silvia Tarniceriu—Harvey Yoder
•     The War for Mansoul—Ethel Barrett and John Bunyan (contemporary version of Bunyan’s A Holy War; delightful audio version of Ethel Barrett’s telling of War for Mansoul.
•     Do Hard Things—Alex and Brett Harris
•     The Pursuit of God—AW Tozer

Especially for boys:

•     The Kingdom’s Dawn Series—Chuck Black (6 book series starting with Kingdom’s Dawn)
•     Boyhood and Beyond—Bob Schultz (Also: Created for Work)
•     Mark of a Man—Elisabeth Elliot

Especially for girls:

•     Hind’s Feet in High Places—Hannah Hurnard
•     Beautiful Girlhood—Karen Andreola

Missionary Stories:

•     Torches of Joy: A Stone Age Tribe’s Encounter with the Gospel—John Dekker and Lois Neely
•     Peace Child—Don Richardson
•     Through Gates of Splendor—Elisabeth Elliot

FIGHTER VERSES
Start memorizing on this date:
June 3     Philippians 4:11–13
June 10   2 Timothy 1:7  
June 17   1 Peter 6–8 
June 24   1 Peter 9–10 [11] 

Visit www.fighterverses.com for memorizing tips.

Fighter Verse Resource Information, please contact Betty Dodge (612-338-7653 x490).

Family Discipleship Staff
See our website for our Family Discipleship Staff Directory

Contact Family Discipleship  (612-338-7653 x480)