Dear New Life Friends,
Time to relax… Time to reconnect… Time to get something done…
Maria and I have been on the receiving end of a Parent’s Night Out a time or two. And it was AWESOME!
A little time away, especially when children are young, is better than gold! For a parent, it can be a lifeline. For a married couple, it can be essential.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love children. They are creative and inspiring. They are cute and adorable. They can make me laugh and think of things in ways I’ve never thought of before. They are delightful, wonderful, gifts of God.
However, when children are young, there seems to be a constant pull for attention, need for help, demand to be the center. And it pulls at our desire for attention, need for help and desire to be at the center!
That’s why parents regularly need a few moments, hours, or perhaps days to retreat, collect ourselves and get our heads on straight and our hearts beating in the right rhythm again. Time away can be refreshing, relaxing and renewing. Without little ones around, it gives us the opportunities to accomplish necessary tasks at a much faster pace!
I love how our church loves young families. We try to design worship environments that are age appropriate. We strive to make sure parents and children are consistently growing in faith. We intentionally create serving opportunities that include the entire family. And we offer a Parent's Night Out!
The fact that our registration is closed prior to the event tells me that we’ve touched on something needed. The fact that we have so many willing volunteers to help make the night happen tells me that our church gets it!
I’m so blessed by our amazing youth and awesome adult volunteers who are preparing for Parent's Night Out. .Instead of asking, “What’s in it for me?” they are looking forward to serving parents by loving on their kids for a few hours. They are excited about the opportunity to be a blessing to parents so they can have time to relax… time to reconnect… time to get something done.
The beauty of this is that everyone wins. Those serving are renewed. The parents are revived. The children, well, let’s be honest… when mom and dad are renewed, it’s just plain good for the kids, too - and bonus that they get to hang out with some really cool youth and adults!
What an inspiration to watch people selflessly love on each other!
What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ!
I give God thanks for the way you thrill and refuel my soul!
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Mike