3 Questions Every Parent Needs to Answer Before Choosing Summer Child Care

Summer.

     That means three months away from school, free from homework, projects, and parent-teacher conferences. But it also means different routines, crazy schedules, and figuring out what your kids will do for three whole months!

     There are a lot of options out there for summer child care - park districts, day care services, summer camps, sports camps, college for kids, and even a stay-at-home babysitter. All of these have their pros and cons, so how do you choose between them? Here’s the three most important questions every parent needs to answer before choosing summer child care.

1. Will my child have fun?

     It might seem obvious, but fun is important! Find somewhere that your child will enjoy spending their summer. It should make your kid jump out of bed in the morning. If your son or daughter comes home complaining about how bored they were that day, you’ll have a headache that lasts until school starts again. 

     Fun is important to your child’s development. Fun helps your child grow socially by breaking down barriers to building relationships and making friends. At Camp of Champions USA, we’ve seen firsthand that kids who have fun together can develop close friendships. Fun also helps your child grow physically. Activities like playing games and making crafts help your child to develop their coordination and skills. Fun is also important in helping your child develop emotionally. Playing fair, learning to abide by the rules, and interacting with other kids develops empathy, self-awareness, and compassion for others. Fun is so much more than simply having a good time...

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To learn the other 2 questions you need to answer before choosing summer child care, subscribe to the COCUSA Blog to download the free e-booklet! Fill out the form below to immediately receive your free download.

Teaching and Modeling Prayer - Discipleship at Home

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Luke 11:1 (NLT)

     Jesus gave us the perfect model for living a prayerful life. Even so, the people who spent the most time with him still needed help developing their own habit of prayer. My wife and I are also still growing in our habit of prayer. While we wouldn't consider ourselves prayer-experts by any means, we've made a choice to make prayer a priority in our home. We believe it's much better to model prayer for our kids than it is to teach them "about prayer," because ultimately the goal is that our children will be comfortable praying to God, not just able to say prayers. I hope that this post helps you to teach and model a vibrant prayer life to your kids.

Create a Routine for Prayer

     As my wife and I lead our kids in modeling prayer, here are some routines that we use to work prayer into our family life.

• Meals: This is an obvious time to pray. Maybe even too obvious. The danger is that we might say a rote, thoughtless prayer instead of authentic, real prayer to the Lord who gave us all of the grub on our plates. My family adds specific things to pray for at each meal. At breakfast we have a list of medical needs that we pray for. At dinner we pray for a missionary family or group somewhere across the globe. The specifics you choose aren't as important as looking for something to get us past the “Good bread, good meat, good Lord, let’s eat!” style of prayer.
• Bedtime: At bedtime we ask our kids to tell us about their favorite part of the day. We also ask if they have anything that they are worried or scared about. These are great conversation starters, but also natural connections to turn to prayer. We often ask our kids if they want to pray (sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t). We also make sure they understand that prayers don’t need to be fancy or long (just read Matthew 6:7-8). Sometimes, a one-sentence prayer from the heart is a huge win for my kids.
• Leaving: When someone leaves the house for the day (which is usually me going to work), we pause and pray for the day. We pray that we can all grow more like Jesus throughout the day. We’ll also pray for safety or protection depending on what’s going on. Bill Allison of Cadre Ministries has a Disciple-maker’s prayer that's a great “on your way” prayer to start your day.

 

When your routine fails, pray anyway

     The reality of life, however, is that it isn’t always routine. Sometimes life smacks you over the head, and you have to do your best to stay afloat until it returns to normal. Modeling honest prayer during these stressful times is even more important than the routine times for prayer. Last fall my family went through a pretty stressful time surrounding a vehicle purchase. For two entire weeks, every prayer we said centered around God watching over our vehicle situation, restoring what was ours, and protecting us. Our kids learned that if a situation is causing you stress, you can bring it to God and ask for his help and peace. Your kids will notice if you turn to God when things are hard (and they'll also notice if you don't).

     "Any-moment" prayers are useful when your kids are stressed or upset. We might gloss over an upset child by labeling their issue as "just a kid-problem." We might tell them to "get over it" when a sibling is mean to them or they scrape their knee. But in these tough moments, we should show them how to pray for God’s help. We can pause and pray with our kids right then, whether we think they are being whiny or not (and trust me, I’m still working on this one).

     Prayer is both awesome and scandalous: We can approach the God of the universe with seemingly trivial requests or concerns. The best way to teach our kids to do that is to model it ourselves. 

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”  Luke 11:9-11 (NLT)

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Peter Lindell is the Executive Director at Camp of Champions USA. You can read his bio on our Full-Time Staff page. 

Easter is Your Turning Point

     Easter always reminds me of when I first became a Christian and accepted God into my life. I was in high school, and I remember sitting down with my youth leader as he explained the sacrifice that Jesus made for me. Each year, I leave the Easter service at my church with a new attitude, on fire for God, and wanting to make my relationship with God even better.

     Easter is a great day for all Christians. It’s a reminder of the amazing work Jesus Christ did for us by defeating death, rising from the grave, and conquering sin for all who believe in Him. Here in Central Illinois, Easter is a typically a holiday where we go to church with our family and hear a message that remind us about the work that Jesus did for all of us.

     While getting this spiritual high from a great Easter service and message is wonderful, what happens when that emotional connection fades? There has to be ongoing follow up to keep your relationship with God strong, just like any other relationship in your life. If you want a relationship with a friend to stay strong, you need to spend time with them. If you don’t intentionally make time to be with them, the relationship fizzles out. If we want to be close to God, we must actively spend time with Him like we do a close friend or family member - more than just once a week for a couple hours. One of the best ways to spend time with God is by diving into the Bible, learning as much as we can about him, and seeing the greatness of his character. By spending time with God daily, we begin to notice God’s love and importance in everyday things.

    I hope and pray that Easter reminded you of the great work that Jesus did for all people. Make this Easter a turning point in your relationship with God. May your love for God be transformed from an emotional reaction to an inspiring message to a real longing to connect with the God that forgave your sins and loves you dearly. Invite your spouse, your kids, and your loved ones to join you in spending time with God. It’s always better to grow together.

3 Tips for Telling Stories Your Kids Will Love

     My dad would always share a story with my brother and I before we went to sleep. I have vivid memories of my dad sitting in a wooden desk chair in the middle our bedroom with book in his hands and a smile on his face. Sometimes he would read a novel, sometimes he would read from the Bible, and sometimes he would tell us stories from growing up on the farm. My brother and I would listen intently as he captivated us. I loved that time spent with my dad, and I hope to become a great story-teller like him.

     As I've studied story-telling, I've found these 3 simple tips helpful for crafting a great story. Follow this advice, and hopefully you can captivate your kids with stories they'll love for a lifetime.

1) Establish a Pattern.

All good stories follow a familiar pattern. You can find this pattern in nearly every movie, TV show, or novel.

1. A hero is introduced. The hero is admirable, yet relatable. 
2. The hero wants something, but there's a problem.
3. The hero gets the help she needs from a guide, who forms a plan with the hero.
4. The hero takes a risk to reach the goal.
5. Sometimes the hero triumphs, and sometimes the hero fails. 

Using a predictable pattern for your stories will help your kids latch on to your tales of adventure. Your stories will become much more memorable when they feel familiar.

Check out more on the pattern of stories from this post at dadcraft.com.

2) Explore the Edges.

Once you've established a pattern for your stories, get creative! Explore the edges of the boundaries you've set for yourself. Maybe your hero is a shy, pink, sea otter. Maybe the guide is an imaginary friend that only the hero can see. Maybe the plan falls apart because aliens invaded Minneapolis. Once you have a framework in place, run free inside it! Your kids will love all the twists, turns, and weirdness your introduce.

3) Don't Hide the Flaws.

We all like a story with a happy ending, but life almost never has a storybook ending. Don't be afraid play up the hero's character flaws. It's ok for the hero not to get everything she wants in the end. Sometimes, the guide can be wrong. Introducing flawed characters into your stories will help your kids to understand how to navigate real-world situations. You can use these moments to teach your kids wisdom on how to act, think, and behave.

If it's ok for [the hero] not to be perfect, perhaps we don't have to be perfect either.

-John Richmond from his post on Storyline.com

     Becoming a master story-teller takes some practice. You might have to start out telling a few boring stories before you leave your kids on the edge of their seats. However, with just a little practice, you can start telling stories that your kids will remember for a lifetime. And maybe one day when they're grown and have families of their own, they'll bring the grandkids over to your house and ask you to tell them a story.

Do you tell stories to your kids? What characters have you created? What kinds of stories do you tell? Leave a comment and let us learn from you!

​Did God Make You a Lion?

From Brad Habegger

     My two daughters are 6 and 4. They're beautiful, funny, smart, and sweet (as I'm sure your kids are, too). And sometimes they roar. Literally and figuratively. One of them went through a phase of going around the house roaring like a lion.

     Which is when it began. When I started asking the question: "Did God make you a lion?" At first it was met with a look of "what-kind-of-question-is-that" and a sheepish reply of "No?" But now it gets more of an eye roll and an annoyed, "No, Daddy." Because they know what's coming next: "Then He didn't make you to roar." (Said with a smile.)

     Or when they're growling unkindness at each other: "Did God make you a bear?" "No, Daddy." "Then He didn't make you to growl." And most commonly, when they’re whining about food, clothes, chores, (you name it): "Did God make you a little puppy? Then He didn't make you to whine."

     But the real purpose of these silly exchanges is the line and truth that follows. "Then He didn't make you to roar… Instead He made you a beautiful, funny and sweet girl." Or, "He made you in His own image." "He made you for the praise of His glory and the joy of all people." "He made you to love. To forgive. To worship. To serve."

     And what started as a teachable moment for my girls also became a look in the mirror for me. I also was not made to roar, growl, or whine at my girls. Instead, I was made to reflect God to them. I was made to love them (unconditionally), train them, guard them, and provide for them. I want to speak God’s truth into my girls’ hearts, but I also want their eyes to see me genuinely living out what I’m saying. When I was at COCUSA, I remember telling the staff, "We can’t expect campers to do what we aren’t doing ourselves." The same is true with parents and children.

     What are some silly (or serious) exchanges that you can turn into teachable moments with your kids? Are there areas in your own life that are inconsistent with what you are saying to your kids? If so, don’t beat yourself up. Take comfort in knowing that God is ready and willing to help you (and your kids). Ask Him to show you what He made you to be.

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Brad Habegger is the Pastor of Children's Ministry at Grace Church in Morton, IL. He served as Executive Director at Camp of Champions USA for over a decade, and is still a great friend and supporter of the organization. Brad enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, playing basketball and tennis, and following the St. Louis Cardinals and college basketball.

Reading for Closer Relationships with Your Kids - Web Catch of the Week

     Last week as my wife and I were cleaning up at the end of the day, I heard the sound of pages ripping coming from our family room. When I entered the room, I saw my son sitting on the floor tearing pages out of books. I quickly stopped him and told him it was wrong to destroy books. When he asked me why it was wrong, I had to pause and think. Why is it important for us to keep these books in good condition? Besides taking care of the things that have been given to us, I wanted him to understand the important role books play in our lives. Realizing I didn’t know how to explain this, I wanted to learn more about how reading impacts kids' development.

     Dr. Perri Klass, Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, outlines the importance of reading with our kids in her article, “Bedtime Stories for Young Brains”. Beyond the brain and language development that occurs when a student reads or is read to, I really appreciated Klass’s focus on how reading creates a face-time, skin-to-skin connection between a parent and a child. Her article helped me understand that my kids both return to the same books over and over again because there is a security in the routine of reading Dr. Suess’s The Grinch together— even if it’s for the third time that day.

     Every night before going to bed, I read a few stories from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones with my kids. It’s a resource we also use at Camp because it does a great job of helping kids see that the Bible is all about Jesus. Besides reading for mental development, Sally Lloyd-Jones explains in her blog post “Teach Children the Bible is Not About Them” that reading the Bible to our kids helps them (and us) become a part of God’s “magnificent story” to His people. It’s liberating to think that I don’t always need to explain or over-explain time and time again the stories we are reading together as a family. Sometimes, it’s beneficial to simply let God’s stories speak for themselves, because there is power in the Word of God.

     What about you? How do you incorporate reading into your family time? What are your kids’ go-to books when it’s time to read? Leave a comment and let us learn from you!

COCUSA Chili Supper 2016

We're passionate about helping everyone at Camp follow Jesus in greater ways through Gospel-centered discipleship.

     Because of this, we want to make sure that each family we serve is connected to a local church. Last summer, we hosted Family Fridays at each Camp location, which allowed people from our host churches to connect with Camp families by sharing a meal together. At one of these events, a single mom with three kids enrolled at Camp had a conversation with a pastor from the host church. That pastor invited her to the church’s weeknight kids program, and the whole family started attending as soon as Camp finished. That pastor recently told us that she is still regularly attending church with her kids and is even looking for new ways to get involved (over 6 months later!).

     That simple invitation to church over an ice cream sandwich changed the lives of three young children and their hard working mom. We are so excited to see God using COCUSA to connect families like this to local churches. We're looking forward to watching him work through our church partnerships in even greater ways this summer.

     This is just one of the stories from last summer that we shared at this year's Chili Supper. At this annual event, we invite both long-time friends of Camp and people who are interested in hearing about our ministry for the first time. After a enjoying some chili and pie, we share a little about what Camp is and how we’ve seen God at work through our ministry.

     If you’d like to hear more stories like this one and find out how you can partner with Camp, it’s not too late to sign up for our second Chili Supper! Sunday, March 6th, from 4:00-5:45pm at Bethany Baptist Church in Peoria. To RSVP to this free event, please visit www.cocusa.org/chili.

     A bowl of chili, a slice of pie, time with friends, and stories of God at work. Will you join us?

*Edit: Even though this event is now over, you can still partner with us by checking out our Get Involved page. Thanks for your support!*

Help Set Your Kids Up for Financial Success

     Student loans are an enormous problem. The national student debt is now over $1.2 trillion (yes, trillion. With a "t"). Like most recent college graduates, I'm working to pay off my loans as quickly as possible. I've picked up a part time job to put more money towards my debt, and often my work day lasts from 7:30am to 10:30pm. I'm sure that working multiple jobs is a familiar way of life for many of you. The added work can be very stressful for both you as a parent and for your children. What if you could set your kids up for financial success? What if they didn't have to work a 2nd job when they get older?

     Best selling author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host Dave Ramsey has helped many people get out of debt and experience financial peace. Chris Brown, another member of the Ramsey Solutions family, wrote a insightful article on helping your kids avoid common money mistakes. Chris offers financial wisdom for parents with kids of any age with practical tips you can put into practice right now.

It starts at home. The Bible says that parents should “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), but many simply don’t feel equipped to teach their kids about money matters.

Check out "9 Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money."

     How do you teach your kids about money? What practical ways have you taught your kids how to manage their finances? Nobody does this perfectly, so it's ok to admit you're still learning. Leave a comment, and help us to learn from you!