A Birthday Covenant
This is an incredibly significant day for me and my son, Parker. He celebrated a birthday this week and I decided to put together a birthday covenant. I really feel like this is a critical year in his physical, spirtual, and intellectual development. So I want to be very intentional about discipling him over the next year. So tonight we're going camping and I'm going to present him with a covenant that will consist of three challenges. I will detail it more at a later date, but it involves a physical challenge, intellectual challenge, and spiritual challenge. My hope is that it will stretch him in those areas and help form a stronger bond as father and son. If he completes those three challenges, then my part of the covenant is taking him on a trip for his next birthday. But it will be more than a trip. It will be a celebration of his accomplishment. And it will be a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts--a rite of passage.
I would covet your prayers for my kids! I really think this could be a milestone in Parker's life! I'll try to share the things I'm learning as a dad because I know that is what is most important to us and where many of us feel like failures.
More than anything else, I want my kids to grow up and be glad I was their dad! I know I'll mess up and make mistakes. But I want the personal knowledge that I gave fatherhood everything I've got! And as a pastor, I absolutely refuse to sacrifice my family on the altar of ministry! I've seen it happen to too many PKs. One of my deepest desires is that my kids would love God and love the church BECAUSE their dad was a pastor. Not inspite of it. I want them to feel like they were lucky to be PKs!
I would covet your prayers for my kids! I really think this could be a milestone in Parker's life! I'll try to share the things I'm learning as a dad because I know that is what is most important to us and where many of us feel like failures.
More than anything else, I want my kids to grow up and be glad I was their dad! I know I'll mess up and make mistakes. But I want the personal knowledge that I gave fatherhood everything I've got! And as a pastor, I absolutely refuse to sacrifice my family on the altar of ministry! I've seen it happen to too many PKs. One of my deepest desires is that my kids would love God and love the church BECAUSE their dad was a pastor. Not inspite of it. I want them to feel like they were lucky to be PKs!
7 Comments:
That's why I love reading your blog. Not just great leadership tid bits, etc but great balance of humility and intentional living. Your priorities seem dead on and that is a huge inspiration.
Praying for you and your kids. Praying for your wife. Praying to bring my kids up with the same intentional influence.
Thanks for being so open about your parenting! It provides great ideas and challenges for other parents like me. Have a great time! Building memories are lifetime photos etched and developed in our minds. Enjoy!
PM,
This is one of the main reasons that I am loyal to you and respect you so much as my pastor, my boss, a co-laboror and a friend.
I appreciate your leadership that is lived out so genuinely before NCC, the staff and most of all your family. You are the real thing, it is so refreshing.
Thanks,
Chris
YOU are super Dad & super pastor! We were at Northway Church,Clifton Park, NY in Aug. My grandson, Payton (8 yrs old) got your book & you autographed it for him. In the car he was trying to read it! He & his parents were visiting me from Brandon,SD (Bedrm community of Sioux Falls) They loved the service and message. We had a long discussion into the afternoon about how young people in SD don't have a church they can relate to...my son (33 yrs old) told me that many young adults don't even believe in God and that churches like Northway are needed so desperately in the midwest as church doors are closing. PLEASE PRAY for these young people & pray about SOMEONE starting a church that young people CAN relate to!!!THANKS for listening......
Awesome!! The best thing I have done with my kids is to be intentional about regular 1:1 time with each of them. Keep it at the top of your list--even when it gets "tough to schedule". My guys (3 teens!) actually plan time with me now :) Enjoy!!!
That is one of the best parenting ideas I've ever heard! I am going to share that with the families in my current Parenting Life Group. I praise God everyday for my two PKs who are now adults who love and serve God!
Hey Mark - am a recent subscriber to your blog and am really enjoying it. I'm a pastor from Toronto, Canada.
I'm sure you have a lot on your schedule but if you have time to answer a quick question that would be great:
My wife and I are having our first child in January (I'm so pumped!) and I am really praying/preparing to give my best as a father. I love the concept you shared in this post: what are some of the top recommendations you would have for a soon to be dad?
My e-mail is b.witton@churchwithoutlimits.com.
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