THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 23, 1995 TAG: 9509220078
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Mathews Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
BACK IN JUNE, following some columns I'd written about the birth of my daughter and my family life, I got a letter from Sharynli Kantor of Virginia Beach.
She wrote: ``You are very fortunate. . . . Parenting is more than creating a child. It is what happens after the child is born that is parenting. Too many people are not mature enough to handle the challenge of raising children and should never have them in the first place.''
I agreed with Kantor and said that people of faith should take charge of this issue. I also asked that if readers knew of effective parenting programs in their houses of worship, to please call or write to let me know about them.
To date, I've heard from eight readers eager to share their successful parenting programs. Here they are, with an invitation for other readers to share their church or temple success stories next week.
Holy Communion Lutheran Church in Portsmouth, 488-2604, sponsors ``Parents Night Out'' every other Friday evening during the school year. From 6 to 9 p.m., children are fed dinner and entertained with recreation, crafts, storytelling and ``other neat stuff,'' says Pastor Dennis Buchholz.
Parents stay for the first 30 minutes to hear a professional speak about various parenting issues such as discipline, spiritual development and self-esteem. Buchholz said that parents are then encouraged to ``leave and spend some time together.''
For more information, call program co-ordinator Beth Butcher at 487-7303. (Church member June Clark called to tell us about this program.)
Greenbrier Christian Fellowship in Chesapeake, 547-7777, sponsors classes based on ``Growing Families International,'' a Biblical based parenting ministry developed by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo.
``The Growing Families International courses,'' wrote teachers Jay and Kellie Johnson of Chesapeake, ``include a childbirth ministry, Preparation for Parenting (foundations and birth ministry), Preparation for the Toddler Years (5-15 months), Growing Kids God's Way (18 months to the teen years) and Reflections of Moral Innocence (teaching and protecting your child regarding sex education), all from God's perspective.''
Teachers are trained. Classes are held not only at Greenbrier Christian Fellowship but also in various churches and homes throughout Hampton Roads.
Parents in the Chesapeake/Suffolk/Portsmouth area can call the Johnsons at 548-3220. Parents in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area can call Don and Robin Bresnahan at 496-0631.
(This program was also endorsed by readers Stan Opie, Rita Mahler, Kim Collins and Crystal Ham.)
First Baptist Church of Norfolk, 461-3226, sponsors ongoing parenting classes as part of its ``Impact'' ministry. The classes are held Wednesday evenings at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. One of the teachers, Mary A. Craig, sent a packet of information on a class she'd helped teach, ``Disciplining With Love.'' Other topics cover everything from teaching children to pray to the basics of financial fitness.
Craig also endorsed First Baptist's weekly Blended Family Bible Study Class, which meets Sunday mornings. ``We study the Bible,'' Craig wrote, ``and discuss practical application to issues blended families are facing, including step-parenting.''
Call the church at 461-3226 for further information.
Diane White of Immanuel Presbyterian Church of America in Norfolk called with praise for her church's approach to teaching responsible parenting.
``Our church has offered at least five times in the 14 years since inception, a Bible Study regarding raising children under Biblical principals,'' White said. ``One of our elders is on the steering committee of Bethany Christian Fellowship, an adoption agency which helps women and their babies in unplanned pregnancies.
``Our church regularly supports this effort, as well as collecting items needed by young women for their babies, the homeless shelter, food baskets, gifts for children at Christmas, as well as helping needy families in our area as the need arises. . . . The older women counsel the younger mothers on child-rearing issues.
``These activities are not `programs' designated by the church as something we must support but ministries which spring up from within our church body when individuals see a need and respond to it cheerfully and willingly.
``Perhaps our houses of faith don't need to mandate specialized classes in `parenting' so much as they need to be about the business of being what they are called to be. For the Christian community, the church should be rightly worshiping God, meeting together for the preaching of the Word, teaching, praying, sharing communion and fellowship.
``The church, when rightly practicing what we are taught in the Scriptures, will do all the things necessary for bringing people to a closer and fuller relationship to the Lord as the Spirit leads.'' MEMO: Every other week, Betsy Mathews Wright publishes responses to her
opinion column. Send responses to Issues of Faith, The Virginian-Pilot,
150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510; call (804) 446-2273; FAX
(804) 436-2798; or send computer message via bmw(AT)infi.net. Deadline
is Tuesday prior to publication. Must include name, city and phone
number. by CNB