What we will learn...

"When you think of parenting, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s the picture-perfect and softly lit image of a new mother delicately holding her precious newborn, taking him in, as he lies, silently in her arms. Or perhaps parenting conjures the image of a father playfully wrestling with his boys in the yard amongst the orange and yellow glow of a crisp autumn day. Or do you picture a beautiful family with their photogenic smiles, sitting in their matching sweaters and looking, in perfect unison, just to the left of the camera? Ah, the life of a parent in a staged snapshot is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

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But if we are honest, those moments are few and far between. What we don’t see in the split second of a photograph is the angry child who doesn’t want his picture taken, who was bribed to smile for a few seconds so the shutter could snap. Reality can be more like the cold lights of your local grocery store, filled with the violent screams of a child rolling around the aisles because he can’t get that box of cereal he wants until his mother finally gives in and gives it to him to escape further embarrassment. Or time after time spent mediating the seemingly never-ending bickering of siblings, only to turn around to do it again and again until we lose our cool. Life as a parent does not always look the way it comes across in the pictures on Facebook. It is complicated and often difficult.

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But the role of parents in a child’s life, though not easy, is meant to be a beautiful thing. Parenting is part of God’s good design, even before sin entered the world, and it remains his good design to this day. God has given parents to children to be a testimony to his faithfulness so that they might grow up in the fear and nurturing of the Lord. Not just in the picture-perfect times, but even (and maybe especially) when life is difficult. Christian parents are not given to their children to be perfect. In fact, one of the greatest blessings of parenting is showing them Christ in our own weakness, so that the grace of God in Christ might shine through.

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But showing our children Christ, in that way, requires honesty, intentionality, and, foundationally, a clear sense of direction as parents. That is why Beals Advent Christian Church and Machias Valley Baptist Church are pleased to be collaborating on a conference geared specifically for parents and aimed at helping parents wrap their minds around this lofty calling that we have been given. This conference is not designed be a checklist of ‘do’s and don’ts’ for parents. Rather, it is a strategic focus on how we ought to think about parenting, as Christians, with a lot of practical application built in.

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So if you are a parent, potential parent, grandparent, or just a person interested in God's high calling of parenting, I encourage you to join us at the Beals Advent Christian Church on October 11th and 12th for four teaching sessions and a built-in question and answer time on parenting. Childcare will be provided.