• Mature Christian faith
• Parenting experience
• Skills in listening and leading group discussion
• Desire to see families equipped to nurture the faith
• Respect for differing viewpoints
• Ability to relate well with other parents and church leaders

• Invite parents and set up the program.
• Lead the sessions.
• Guide parents to nurture faith and use many faith-nurturing resources.
• Help parents provide continuing support for one another.

• Hands-on experience with the sessions
• Learning a process, not just a program
• Discussing ways to begin and implement a group
• Individualized instruction and feedback for leading this Christian parenting curriculum
• Instructions and practice of communication skills
• Guidance for living both the faith and skills
• Creative methods for family prayer and f devotions
• Knowledge about resources available for families
• Certification by The Youth & Family Institute

Four Keys for Nurturing Faith - The first session introduces participants to each other, to the content, and each participant's teaching format. Participants will learn about the four keys for nurturing faith within families, including: caring conversation, devotions, rituals and traditions, and acts of service.

Family Conversation - Too often parents use questions to quiz, interrogate or accuse, which puts children on the defensive and raises communication barriers. Learning to ask the right questions can build trust, encourage understanding, and affirm values. Explore the times and places that work for your family members to talk together about faith and other important topics.

Listening Skills - Putting the busyness of life's tasks aside to make listening a priority takes intentional work. Real listening is more than hearing words; it seeks to thoroughly understand. Jesus says, "My Mother and brothers are those who hear." (Lk. 8:21). Parents learn to hear as they practice the skill of listening.

Listening to Nonverbal Communication - It takes an attentive listener to hear beyond, around and, sometimes, in spite of the words that are spoken. Parents who know and understand their children know how and what to observe. Likewise, children learn to observe parents, learning more from what their parents do than what they say.

Building a Healthy Self-Worth - Kids become who we tell them they are. Building self-worth in children comes from recognizing and intentionally affirming the gifts and attributes that make them unique, that help them belong, that give purpose, and that offers hope. Likewise, God recognizes our uniqueness giving us gifts, telling us we belong, giving us purpose, and keeping us focused on the hope offered through the cross of Christ.

The Training that Strengthens - Christian parenting curriculums often quote the "spare the rod, spoil the child" (Pr. 13:24 ) verse seeming to advocate a heavy handed approach. In reality the rod was a tool for a shepherd who never hit the sheep. Instead it was held in the air as a marker that guides, used ward off enemies, and to part the wool in order to check for injuries and disease. The rod is a wonderful symbol for a caring, authoritative parenting, but it was never meant to be a symbol for physical punishment.

Communicating with Sensitivity - When behaviors are negative or undesirable, "It's wrong not to correct" (Lev 19:17) But, correcting need not be given as a demand that turns into a battle. Dealing with sensitive issues requires understanding and care of sharing the effects the behavior has on you and others.

Dealing with Anger - "Be angry but do not sin." (Eph 4:26) People have various ways they deal with anger, often learned from others. Anger is natural, but also a response to other emotions such as fear, inadequacy or disappointment. When angry, it is most helpful to step back, name what it is that causes the anger, and give yourself time to respond in appropriate ways.

Sharing Faith Together - Sharing faith expresses God's working to bring hope, love, and grace in the midst of a confusing world. Honest faith talk also means being comfortable with questions that can't be answered, doubts that confuse, wondering that resists simple answers, and experiences that can't be explained. This session explores ways, times and tools for caring faith conversation.

Parents Teaching Values - Children grow up surrounded by conflicting value systems. A parent could try to protect a child by hiding him or her away from all the world's evil, or a parent can learn to talk openly, helping a child to explore, understand consequences and choose wise directions based on relational values of care and respect for others, self, the world, and God.

Parental Guidance in Decision-Making - One of the most challenging tasks for a parent is to let children make their own choices. If children depend on a parent to tell or choose for them they soon step into the world away from the parent and seek out someone else who will tell them how to be. Often these are the wrong “someones”. This session gives parents specific tools that help children explore options, guide choices and wisely make their own decisions.

Faith Sharing In the Home - Rituals and traditions are the meaningful strands of repeated history that weaves a family's special and sacred identity. Children grow up knowing who they are and whose they are as they center life in Christ. This session helps parents identify and enhance important existing rituals and traditions, as well as provides ideas for beginning new ones.

Doing the Word as a Family - Responding to God's forgiveness, love, and grace is done by loving others, showing our care by serving, volunteering, helping out, uplifting, and welcoming. An attitude and practice of serving can only come by participating in service. Research says this attitude and practice best becomes a part of a person's life when it is learned in the context of family. Parents explore big and small ways to involve their families in faithful service.