Most of us have witnessed a divorce within our congregations; many of us have seen it up close and personal in our own families. It doesn’t matter how big or small the church is, divorce goes well beyond affecting just the parents and children involved. It affects their extended family, it affects all the people they are serving with, and it affects the people they may be … [Read more...]
10 ways to pastor adoptive parents and those considering adoption
There are many ways that you can express your pastoral care for those considering adoption and those who have adopted already. As an adoptive father and former pastor, I offer a few thoughts on how to help adoption become a biblically based, heart-led, missional movement in your church and not merely another program on your church’s list. 1. Develop your own heart for the … [Read more...]
3 ways to prepare parents for empty nesting
When we think of the empty nest, we picture a variety of colorful visuals. They may be of the optimistic type, where the parents are now free to invest more time and energy into their marriage, pursue long put-off goals and dreams, or simply enjoy the downtime of not being center seat in the parenting role 24/7. Or, on the opposite and often more realistic end of the spectrum, … [Read more...]
Caring for aging parents: 6 ways to prepare your people well
With such a large group of Baby Boomers getting older, there is also a larger number of middle-aged adults caring for aging parents. Many times, this is entered into with little forethought: a parent needs care, so the adult children are the ones to give it. And while most adult children anticipate a period of adjustment, few realize the true difficulties that caring for aging … [Read more...]