Encouragement for Fathers

By Mathew Finlay, Silverdale Baptist Academy School Counselor Contact Mr. Finlay

Seasons greetings! With the holiday season already in full swing and our "Donuts For Dads" event coming up in January, I wanted to take a few moments to encourage you.

Holidays are such a great opportunity for families to spend some quality time together and for a father to spend time with his children. Statistics tell us that the role a father plays in the life of their child is unrivaled in the impact it has on that child. Your role as a father can be more influential than any teacher, coach or mentor that your children may ever have. With that in mind, I want to share with you a few simple ways to spend some quality time with your children this Christmas break:

• Game Night! – Turn off the TV, put up the tablet and turn the cell phone on silent. Turn up the Christmas music, flick on the Christmas tree lights, get the hot chocolate ready and pull out your favorite board games or even a deck of cards. Quality time doesn’t have to be hard work!
• Watch a Christmas Movie – What was your favorite Christmas movie growing up? What is your favorite Christmas movie today? Sit down together on the sofa and enjoy some quality time laughing together.
• Service Project – Christmas is not about ourselves or the gifts we receive, but rather about Christ and the giving spirit. Get together as a family and find an opportunity to serve.  This Friday, December 6th, you have the opportunity to join your child downtown for "Share your Christmas" or you can partner with your child to buy gifts for "Operation Orchard Knob", just to name a few. Serving with your child, working together for a cause greater than ourselves is an amazing opportunity to shape and mold your child’s heart.
• Read through the Gospel of John – The Gospel of John has 21 chapters. Reading a chapter a day would take you all the way to Christmas day, with a little flexibility, and what better way to celebrate Christmas and the life of Jesus than by reading the Gospel as a family. Talk about the stories, relive the moments and enjoy how Jesus will work in your family through this.

Finally fathers, there is no better way to reinforce the time you have spent bonding with your child during the upcoming break than to join us on Friday, January 24th, 2014 at 7:00am in the upper gym for "Donuts For Dads". This is a time where we want to honor you, celebrate you and encourage you in your role as a father.

May God bless you as you pursue Him this Christmas!