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“Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.”— Proverbs 17:6
Discipleship is best lived out through the family and the church (Deuteronomy 6:4-7, Matthew 28:18-20)
Abundant Life Family Ministry wants to equip parents for family discipleship and provide resources so they can lead powerful spiritual conversations with the next generation.
Families in every stage of life Walk the Path for discipleship guided by ten Mile Markers (see below).
Parents Initiate Weekly Conversations by intentionally setting aside regular time to read God’s Word and worship together.
Never Miss a God Moment by seizing opportunities to intentionally connect spiritual truths to everyday life.
Setting aside time each week to have faith conversations as a family builds a strong foundation for the next generation
Talking with your kids about what God is doing in the day-to-day helps them develop a biblical worldview
Celebrating child dedications, baptisms, and other mile markers together unifies families and give children a community where they can grow
Having a community gives parents and children support and helps them through stages of life
Castles is a 7-week family discipleship class designed to help you build a solid foundation for spiritual growth within your family. No matter what your family looks like, this class will help you discover biblical guidance, find meaningful ways to incorporate faith into your daily life, and connect with others in a warm, welcoming environment. Enroll in a Castles Study Group today.
Each Mile Marker gives parents and adults a clear direction to be equipped for lifelong discipleship through biblical training and practical resources, with some special events of celebration along the way. Each Mile Marker on the path features three key ways for you to be equipped to WIN at discipleship:
The Parenting Conference features sessions for each Mile Marker with biblical training to shepherd your family along the path of discipleship, with opportunities to connect and build relationships with other families in the same season of life.
Events are recommended activities for you to create as a family or special celebrations hosted by Abundant Life, all focused on marking significant life events or celebrations.
Resources are recommended books and training materials we recommend to equip you as you intentionally guide your family along the path.
The first Mile Marker is child dedication. This is a ceremony that normally occurs for parents who have children between birth and one year of age. You will learn how to become primary faith trainers for your children and accept the responsibility. Resources and learning opportunities are provided for new parents desiring to dedicate their children to the Lord. During the ceremony, the church body commits to partner with the parents in the faith development of the child for the duration of the journey.
Event: Child Dedication
Video training about Child Dedication’s purpose
Video training about Child Dedication’s purpose
Video training about Child Dedication’s purpose
It is so important to help children prepare spiritually, emotionally, and physically as they head into their school years. Between the ages of 2 and 6, we begin to introduce these concepts to kids as they attend church ministries and activities. We also equip parents to intentionally train their children. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way that they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it.” Parents, you are encouraged to attend Growing Kids God’s Way, a discipleship class that will equip you with tools for training, discipline, and laying the foundation for a loving family. You will learn how to establish a vision statement, core values, and discipline plan for your family.
Event: Kindergarten Graduation (more details coming soon)
An important milestone in the life of every person is salvation and baptism. For the child growing up in a Christian home and in the context of a local church, a decision point is often reached between the ages of 7 and 11. This decision may also occur later in life. Between Mile Marker 1 and Milestone 3, we partner with and equip you to lead your kids toward a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which leads to salvation. You are encouraged to attend a seminar that teaches the biblical truth about salvation and baptism and are equipped and given resources to Initiate Weekly Conversations with family devotions in their homes where these principles are taught. To make this Mile Marker memorable and special, you can include a Spiritual Birthday that focuses on the child’s date of salvation and a family celebration at and following the child’s baptism event. You are encouraged to invite family, friends, and those who spiritually influence the child.
Event: Baptism
It is so important to help children prepare spiritually, emotionally, and physically for adolescence. Between the ages of 10 and 12, we begin to introduce these concepts to kids as they attend church ministries and activities. We also equip you to intentionally prepare your children to enter their teen years. You are encouraged to attend a two-hour seminar called Preparing for Adolescence: Parent Edition. This seminar teaches the basics concerning talking with your kids about relevant issues such as physical changes, identity in Christ, and sex. You will learn how to use James Dobson’s CD series called Preparing for Adolescence in the course of a road trip for just you and your maturing child.
Event: Road Trip
The passing of a child into adulthood is a significant event. Biblically, we must equip our children to become men and women of God. Ages 13-16 are significant in the life of a child. Rite of Passage about becoming a man or woman of God. In this seminar, you'll be equipped to disciple your child for adulthood. Issues such as spiritual gifts, the roles of men and women, spiritual disciplines, service in the church, dealing with failure, and other biblical issues will be explored both in your family devotion and on the church campus. You’ll also learn how to host a very special “Rite of Passage” ceremony as a part of the discipleship.
Event: Rite of Passage
Between the ages of 17 and 19, parents must help their children develop the practical and spiritual skills to leave home. This Mile Marker is about preparing your child for the world after high school. This can be a very healthy time in the family journey if you continue to keep the lines of communication open with their students. Issues such as basic apologetics, courtship and marriage, determining the will of God, life skills for living away from home, and other biblical issues will be explored both in family Weekly Conversations and on the church campus. We teach you to write out a spiritual blessing for your child to be presented at the time of graduation. These important years of discipleship are our last chance to shape the faith of our children before they are on their own.
Event:
Senior Weekend with Fusion – Basic Senior Weekend
Senior Night at Fusion
Blessing Ceremony
It is so important to help children prepare spiritually, emotionally, and physically for adulthood. A person’s 20s are the most crucial time for adult development. We want to equip you to intentionally prepare your children to enter adulthood. You are transitioning from a full custodial role to a coaching role. This Mile Marker teaches the basics concerning coaching your child through career, identity, and relationships.
The most important relationship in our lives outside of Jesus is our spouse. This Mile Marker helps equip adults who are considering marriage to determine if they should marry or part ways. Couples are also equipped with tools to be able to work through certain obstacles to a healthy marriage in the future. Merge connects couples with a mentor couple and other couples seeking marriage.
Event: Merge
Grandparents, you matter. You leave legacies that impact generations to come. You help grandchildren grow spiritually, emotionally, and physically. You pass on stories and values that leave a lasting impact on the future. Mile Marker 9 is about preparing and supporting you in your critical role to leave lasting legacies that reflect the character of God to future generations.
Caring for parents as they age is an important, final step in Family Ministry. Some of Jesus’ final words on the Cross were directed to help care for His mother. And with this Mile Marker, we will help equip you to care for your aging parents through the challenges that come in health, mobility, memory, family relationships, and other areas.
We want to connect the Great Commission to the Great Commandment by equipping parents to teach, train, and disciple their children to become fully devoted followers of Christ.
Strengthen your family. Sign up for emails, register for a class, and connect with us on social media!
Do you homeschool online, in person, or through your local co-op and seek support, connections, and opportunities? The Abundant Life Homeschool Ministry wants to come alongside you to provide what you need and to celebrate big milestone events along the way!
Sign up for our email list and get updates on activities and events.
Is God speaking to your heart about the possibility of foster care or adoption or are you currently or a future adoptive parent? Choosing to adopt or foster is not an easy decision. But it is a calling and we want to support foster, adoptive, and birth families. We want to come along side of you with care and support so you are not on the journey alone. We see you and we see the difference that you are making. If you want to learn more or be a part of this growing ministry, sign up below and plan to attend the interest meeting.
We feel that it is important to engage children and adults with special needs in a setting that is conducive to them and their needs. On Sundays, we provide opportunities for adults and children at all of our campuses. Children (up to age 12) meet during service in the Abundant Life Kids Area, and we have a youth/adults (age 12+) only class that meets at 11:15 am at the Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit Campus.
To better prepare for your arrival, please contact the church office at 816-554-8181 with any questions (Monday-Thursday).
Want to have a healthy marriage before you say “I do”? Merge is a pre-marital discipleship ministry designed for engaged and seriously dating couples. These classes provide a way for you to seek wisdom and receive biblical counsel about marriage in a fun, safe, and authentic environment. You can enroll in a weekend workshop and/or a 9-week course.
*Note there is cost to this class to cover the materials used. Merge is a class that requires a sign up for attendance. It is closed group, meaning everyone who signs up attends the entire session and new members aren’t allowed in until the next session starts.
Re|Engage takes you through 14 marriage principles that you work through with other couples to learn how to effectively communicate, resolve conflict, and grow closer to your spouse. Re|engage brings couples together to learn about God’s design for marriage and apply biblical principles for building a healthy relationship.
What Is Child Dedication?
Child dedication is a time for parents to publicly declare their commitment to live with God’s Word in their hearts and accept the responsibility as the primary faith trainer of their child. It’s a moment for parents to acknowledge their child belongs to God and is given to them to steward, grow, and develop according to His Word. It is also an opportunity for the Body of Christ and parents to come together and pray over the child.
Your child is never too old for you to make the public commitment to be the parents God calls you to be and to acknowledge your child belongs to God. Whether they are newborns or newly graduated, all are welcome to dedicate their children.
What Child Dedication Is Not
Child dedication is not baptism, nor does it impart salvation. Salvation happens when a child is old enough to make a decision on his or her own, and the child chooses to receive Christ. From there, the child makes a decision to publicly declare their decision to follow Christ through baptism.
What to Expect
At Abundant Life, we host child dedication three times a year at all our campuses’ during the 11:15 am service. We invite parents and siblings of the child being dedicated on stage, where they are announced one by one. The Pastor then leads the church in prayer over the families.
We believe discipling our children to follow Jesus begins in our homes. Castles is a 7-week family discipleship class designed to help you build a solid foundation for spiritual growth within your family. No matter what your family looks like, this class will help you discover biblical guidance, find meaningful ways to incorporate faith into your daily life, and connect with others in a warm, welcoming environment. Enroll in a Castles Study Group today.
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