Dear Parents and Guardians of our Parish's Middle and High School Teens,
Hello! This is the 12th issue of our Online Parent Ministry! I hope and pray that the OPM is useful for you! I encourage you to try one of the "Family Experiences!"
Each week, the OPM Emails include a theme, links to articles, conversation starters, videos, and much more to help you know more about your teen's world.
One permanent feature of our Online Parent Ministry is the "Family Experiences." Click on the link below and then click on whatever grade your teen is in this school year. You will find a few downloads including a page called "the Development Guide" that details all the physical, spiritual, and social changes your teen will experience at that particular age. It's full of good information! The other pages will help you plan that year's "Family Experience."
Thank you for all the positive feedback on our Online Parent Ministry! Please reach out if you have any suggestions or if you found a great resource for parents and families that you think I should include in future OPM emails!
Peace,
Today's Online Parent Ministry email is all about the Bible and the story of Salvation History!
Our teens need to know and appreciate the Bible! That means, as parents YOU need to know and appreciate the Bible. Check out this week's OPM resource!
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Parenting teens can be complicated. There is so much going on in their world as they seek to navigate who they are becoming and the world around them. Things are constantly changing, and they often don’t know how to deal with it all. As a parent, you constantly have to decide how to help and lead them as they grow and develop.
This means, that as a parent of a teenager, you also need to grow and develop. You need to regularly spend time learning more about your teen and the phase they are in. You need to understand the nuisances of how they are developing physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. (Check out the "Development Guides" for each age of your teen HERE on our Family Experiences section of our OPM.) You need to have an understanding of the culture they are living in and the different influences that are shaping them.
We all know that we have to be learning more about the things we are involved with if we are going to get better. When it comes to our careers or even our hobbies, we go to conferences, listen to podcasts, and read books that help us learn and grow. When something is important to us, we take the time and make the effort to get better. As St. John Neumann's Youth Minister, I know that parenting is one of the things you want to get better at. You don’t just want to be a good parent, but you want to be a GREAT parent. It’s the most important role you have, and it’s a big job. Your teens need you, and you need help as you lead and guide them. I am here to help you do that!
Through these OPM Emails, I will share with you a variety of good resources relating to teen culture and more, but I, of course, am mostly focusing on helping you to spiritually lead your teens. In a previous OPM Email (Email #6), I gave you a great resource - a Bible reading guide! It contains a topical reading guide to help you find and know the stories from Scripture and much more!
This week, the resource has to do the Bible itself - how it's structured, some history, and, the story of our Salvation History. Teens and adults can learn a lot from it. It's a big document, but I really hope you read it and have your teens read it! As Catholic parents, you need to appreciate the great gift we have in the Bible! I hope you find this week's OPM Email helpful for you and your teens! Be encouraged!
One of my Team Members shared with me a great resource - it's great! I want to share it with you! It's called "OurDailyVerse.com" Every day you get a beautiful graphic of a verse from scripture that you can share with others on your social media. There is a beautifully written devotional and prayer as well! Sign up today and check it out! Please share it with your teen!
Sunday Alive! is another resource that will help you and your family be more present and prepared to receive the message of the Mass! Read the readings before you come to Church, and take a look at the rest of the "Sunday Alive!" handout. It also contains the Saint of the Week, discussion questions for the family on the message of this Sunday's Gospel, and much more! Enjoy!
Please reach out if you ever have any questions, personal needs, or even suggestions for our Online Parent Ministry! I will send our usual weekly email on Thursday, Have a great week!
