Family Faith-Building Academy Helps Homeschooling Parents Shepherd Their Children’s Hearts
Parenting With Purpose
Ahhhh, summer.
Whether it’s neighborhood barbecues, pool time with friends, indoor playdates at trampoline parks when we need to beat the triple-digit heat, summer camps, or Vacation Bible School, FUN is all around!
From the fireworks, flags, and fanfare commemorating the birth of our nation on July 4th to ongoing neurodiversity awareness with National Parenting Gifted Children Week to our commitment as being a contributing member of the greater parent “village” with National Make A Difference for Children Month, we celebrate all month long!
Of all of the joyous occasions, we are humbled to honor, there is one that is particularly special, Purposeful Parenting Month.
Shepherding the Hearts of Our Children
It is my firm belief there is no greater purpose as a parent than to shepherd the minds and hearts of our children.
Kimberly Bennett, Founder & CEO The Homeschool Counseling Network
The heart is the wellspring of life. To adequately teach our children, we must first pursue a relationship with them. After all, we were created for relationship! Relationship with our heavenly father and with one another.
Without this connection, we fail to fully comprehend the glory of our Creator, as well as the purpose for which we were created.
In honor of Purposeful Parenting Month this July, The Homeschool Counseling Network is proud to add to its directory of online courses and classes, Katie J. Trent’s Family Faith-Building Academy.
Missions Begin At Home
Do not get me wrong. I firmly advocate for making service outside the home a healthy habit. Yet, you do not need to travel the world to find a mission field. You have one in your home!
Whether lounging in your living room, dining at your kitchen table, folding endless piles of laundry on your couch, splashing with toy boats at bathtime, settling sibling squabbles, or praying at your child’s bedside, endless opportunities abound within the walls of your home to disciple your children.
Startling Statistics
Through some powerful conversations with a few fellow homeschool moms, including Living With Eve’s Leilani Melendez, SPED Homeschool‘s Peggy Ployhar, and more recently with this month’s spotlight feature, Katie J Trent of Family Faith-Building Academy, I have gained insight into some startling statistics when it comes to the longevity of our children’s faith.
And I have concluded that I have never been more resolved in my true calling as a homeschool mom of faith.
These numbers are more than just disheartening, they’re sobering.
Research indicates 70-88% of children raised in Christian homes who regularly attend church still leave the faith by early adulthood–and an alarming percentage never return to their faith.1
Katie J Trent.com, Family Faith-Building Academy
- One of the primary reasons youth abandon the Christian faith is because they never personally owned their faith.2
- 35-42 million youths raised in Christian homes will depart from their faith over the next 30 years..3
I don’t know about you, but one glance at these findings was like plunging my head into a bucket of ice water.
Beyond the proverbial “wake-up call,” this is a call to action.
Faith in Action
So, what is a parent to do when faced with this sort of daunting data?
Bottom line: we know we need to do something. But what? Or better yet, how?
How do loving parents approach the discipleship of their children?
How do loving parents grow in their relationship with the Lord as a family?
How do loving parents cultivate connection?
How do loving parents learn how to put in the work of shepherding their children while also resting in the shelter of the Lord’s promises?
Where do we begin?
Train Up A Child
As homeschool parents, my husband and I teach our son many things. By far the greatest of these is cultivating a strong relationship with the Lord.
Investing in our child’s spiritual training is not only a form of discipleship but also a form of worship. Our children are on loan to us from God. It is our duty to lay the firm foundation of faith in our homes, sowing these seeds so that our children may continue to reap the bountiful fruit throughout their lives long after they leave our homes.
Sometimes, however, we understand the “what” that we need to do while simultaneously struggling with the “how” to do it.
Enter Family Faith-Building Academy.
Want To Know More?
To learn more about Family Faith-Building Academy, check out our VLOG post.
Let’s Keep In Touch
Whatever the reason that led you to land on The Homeschool Counseling Network’s website, we’re glad you’re here. We’re thankful to have you as a part of our village!
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You never know when your personal or professional experience may inspire, inform, or improve the lives of others. Thank you for being a part of The Homeschool Counseling Network.
Blessings,
Kimberly Bennett, LPC
It’s Only Homeschooling and The Homeschool Counseling Network
This website is not a professional counseling website and nothing here should be construed as professional counseling advice. Although Kimberly Bennett, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor, she is not your counselor, and no counselor-client relationship is established unless she has signed an agreement with you. All information provided through this website is for informational and educational purposes only.
