FamilyTime is a tool for parents. This tool is available to any parent whether they attend Getwell Road or not. FamilyTime was introduced to Getwell Road Sunday, February 21, 2010.
Why FamilyTime
For several years, children’s ministry has been sending home information with parents when their kids attend on Sunday morning. Although it was a good idea to give the parents some information so that they could talk to their kids about what was being taught at church, not enough parents were using the information and in some cases, the parents never received the information.
Leadership of the church had many discussions about doing a better job of encouraging parents to have time with their families during the week to talk about spiritual matters. Momentum has been building since 1997 when staff and volunteers attended the first Orange Conference, which is a conference held at North Point Church in Atlanta. “Think Orange” is a buzz word that helps us talk about this dilemma. Parents are represented by the color red and the church is represented by the color yellow. When you mix red and yellow, you get orange! It is quite simple to explain but is much more difficult to do.
The church has been attempting for over 30 years to provide quality Christian training to kids while their parents attend Sunday school and worship service. In the beginning, it was just to supplement what the kids were being taught at home. The role has been reversed. By doing “church” many parents have abdicated the role of spiritual training. Most traditional families that attend church admit that they are doing little or no spiritual training at home. When asked “Why?” the answers range from “I am too busy to I don’t know what to do!”
Statistics reveal that only 4 percent of the generation born after 1986 can articulate a Christian worldview. Our churches are filled with children, teens, and adults who know little about God’s Word and how it applies to their lives. Between 75%-93% of students in our youth programs do not plan to attend church when they are out of their parent’s homes.
It is time for parents to change priorities! We can do it if we “Think Orange” and work together!!
What is FamilyTime
FamilyTime is very simple. It is a 20-minute lesson that uses an object lesson to teach Biblical truths. Any parent regardless of their religious upbringing can do FamilyTime. The big challenge is getting parents to start it! Once a family completes one month of FamilyTime in their home at a designated time during the week, kids will be asking, “When is the next FamilyTime?” It is designed for kids from 4 years to 17 years old so that all the family can do it together. We even encourage to start it with kids younger than 4 because you never know what they will get from it.
Kirk Weaver, founder of FamilyTime quotes: “When formal spiritual training takes place at home, informal spiritual converations and discussions become natural..part of the family’s DNA. The faith is no longer something you do on a Sunday morning…it becomes part of your daily conversations, decisions and life. In 14 years of doing a once-a-week Family time we have had more than 700 intentional spiritual lessons in the home.”