Make Contact with your Couples
If it hasn’t been done, the leader couple should make the initial contact with parents approved for the class by telephone or email to let them know of their acceptance and give the specifics of their participation. This might be a good time to provide the necessary information for the first night of class which should include class start and end time; children should not be part of the class, but home with sitters. Also make sure you provide directions to your home along with your phone number.
Class Preparation
Thousands of parenting classes have utilized Growing Families International curricula since 1988. As a result, much insight has been gathered in producing effective classes where discipleship may flourish and accountability is maintained. The following list provides suggested guidelines for your participation as a leader.
Before each class meeting:
-
We encourage you as a couple to pray before your group arrives. Ask the Lord for wisdom for the two of you, and pray that the participants will be teachable.
-
Be organized! This sets a great example of your own home life and demonstrates your confidence in the material.
-
Review the current week’s video lesson and prior week’s homework before each session.
-
Spend some time with your own children to let them know that this is a joint family ministry; their testimony is as important as yours is.
Many leaders have found the following class format helpful. It represents a normative of experience of seasoned GFI leaders, but is not intended to be a required methodology for leading a class. Classes that use this approach generally run approximately two hours in length.
1. Prayer – This sets the stage for your discussion and acknowledges that God is the center of your conversations regarding the family.
2. Review (approximately 30 minutes) – Take the opportunity to review the homework assignments from the previous week. This will be the most critical portion of your time together because it drives home the material and allows for class participation. Go over the homework assignment with the class. Encourage participation from each student by going around the room as you ask for the answers. Students who did not complete their homework should not be allowed to participate in any class discussion.
3. Session (approximately 60 minutes) – Each meeting will have one DVD/video session. Showing the “Introduction” session is optional. Giving all the time that introductions and sharing takes in the first night, some leaders make this the first session and move Session One, How to Raise a Moral Child to the next week. Many leaders find this very helpful. Each session includes a teaching segment with Gary Ezzo and a wrap-up segment with Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo (the exception is “The Father’s Mandate” which is just taught by Gary). The wrap-up sessions include the Ezzos sharing application examples and a question and answer time with the class audience.
4. Refreshments (approximately 30 minutes) – Refreshments should not be overlooked, as they contribute greatly to Christian fellowship. (A refreshment sign-up sheet is included in the Forms section.) Make sure that you keep an eye on the time so the refreshment time doesn’t use your discussion time. Remind the class that there will be time for fellowship at the end of the class.
5. Group Discussion (approximately 30 minutes) – Group discussion is critical to clarification and practical application. Review the outline for the night’s lesson and consider sharing some of the “Possible Discussion Topics” found in the Session Guides section of the Leaders book. Again, encourage participation from all students. Students should be told that there will be no arguments during class time.
6. Prayer – The class leader should manage a prayer journal on behalf of the group. Soliciting prayer requests is a way for the class leader to show interest in the families. Encourage requests that are practical to family issues. Take a moment and bring the requests before the Lord. Emphasize the confidentiality of all personal matters that are discussed in class.
7. Extended fellowship and refreshments after class – You should be determined to facilitate extended social time after the class. This environment allows individuals to have informal discussions regarding parenting topics, which further reinforce the principles taught earlier. In addition to your discipleship of the students, keep in mind that others may provide help and encouragement through relationships. It’s important that your students develop relationships with others who are like-minded in their parenting beliefs. These relationships have the potential to reinforce what your class is learning long after the class is over.
The First Night
The first night of class is most critical. The first impression will set the pace for future classes. Remember that your students are nervous, and it will be your job to help put them at ease. Encourage the group to have fun and relax as they embark on this new adventure together. Here are some tips for the first night of class.
1. Before the class begins:
-
As host and hostess for the first night of class, we encourage you to provide refreshments for the group. Food allows for a relaxed environment and is a good icebreaker for a nervous group of people.
-
Review the student applications prior to class. This review will help you feel more familiar with the participants.
-
Complete the schedule of classes and consider holidays in your scheduling. Once reviewed with the class, you may find it necessary to revise and send out an updated schedule in the weeks to come.
-
Prepare name tags to be used for the first couple of weeks. This may save some embarrassment for you and others.
2. Class leaders should introduce themselves and share:
-
names and ages of children
-
length of time married
-
occupations/interests
-
Share Growing Kids God’s Way testimony
3. Open class in prayer, setting the appropriate tone for the class.
4. Ask the class to introduce themselves. It is amazing how quickly people warm up. Have husbands and wives share:
-
Names of children
-
Length of marriage
-
Occupations/interests
-
Church/organizations
-
Testimony experiences
-
How they came to hear about the class
5. Consider asking each partner to share what they hope to improve about their family during this class.6. When students introduce themselves during the first session, make notes of interest on their application. Also, write down a brief physical description so that you will be more familiar with the names and faces next week.
6. At the time of introduction, mark your attendance sheet.
7. Leaders should share what they hope to accomplish through the class. A leader sets the tone for the direction of the group. If they see you are enthusiastic and vulnerable, it will go a long way in motivating others to be the same. List the goals that you would like to see accomplished. They may include:
-
New relationships among families
-
Gain confidence as parents
-
See the parents pursue godly things
-
Improve husband and wife relationship
-
Help parents raise a morally responsible child
-
Others may rise up to teach and spread the word
8. Hand out class schedules. Briefly review the dates you have scheduled for each session. Reserve comments and changes until after class. Also, give them guidelines for reaching you at home. Give them your phone number and the hours that you are available.
9. Review the format of the class (i.e., prayer, homework, review and discussion, video tape lesson, refreshments, group discussion, questions, and further discussion).11. If there is a Christian couple living under the same roof, we recommend that you require both the husband and wife to attend the class together. Of course, a student whose spouse does not want them to attend should be discouraged from coming. For couples where one is a Christian and one is not (“unequally yoked”), the ideal would be for both the husband and wife to attend together. A long-term commitment for many unsaved people can be a very scary thing. We have found that requesting a smaller commitment of four to five weeks is a good way to get the unbelieving spouse interested in the class.
10. Hand out the refreshment sign-up sheet. In smaller groups, participants will need to sign up for more than one session.
11. If the class fees have not been previously collected at the introductory meeting, collect money for the class fee and discuss any other housekeeping topics. Make sure parents know that you are not personally benefiting from the class fee, and determine with your church leadership what, if any, latitude will be available to class members in late payment of the fee.
Class Odds and Ends
The following suggestions speak to a number of small but important items to consider when hosting a class. They represent the collective experience and input from thousands of GFI leaders around the country. You will need to give some thoughts to:
Babysitting
You want to avoid having other children in your home during the class. A visitor’s child in the other room splits mom or dad’s attention. Obviously, your children will be there, but they should not be part of the class. Some churches utilize the church nursery. In one case, class leaders charged $2.00 per night for childcare, paying the nursery workers $6.00 per hour.
Lending out the DVD or Video
We advise against lending out the videos. While you may be 100% sure they will be returned, invariably they frequently are not. As your ministry grows, consider purchasing a set of audiotapes that may be lent out for missed classes. Keep accurate records of who has the tapes and require just one week for them to be returned. Or have the student who missed the class come to your home during the week and watch the session there.
Follow-up
Take the initiative to follow-up by telephone with each student at least once during the series and any time they are unexpectedly absent from a class. Affirm them, encourage them, and make yourself available to them for help and counsel. Keep in mind that God has called you to this special ministry. We are placing our confidence in you as you model Christ-like character in your own relationships as a couple and as a family.
Difficult Questions
It is okay not to have answers to every question. Your frankness that you don’t will assist in establishing your credibility. In the event that you are unable to answer a question, take the time to research the answer yourself. Your own personal study will help prepare you to be a better leader. If you are not able to answer a question after your own research, please feel free to contact Growing Families International or a Regional Representative. We will strive to respond to your questions and provide assistance in a timely manner.
Staying in Touch
As a class leader, it is a good idea to plan for a class reunion at the completion of your Growing Kids God’s Way class schedule. It is good to get back together with these families to see how God is working in their lives and to help keep them accountable to what they have learned. You will enjoy the renewing of this fellowship and will be surprised how much you have missed it. For those in your class who are interested in keeping up with the ministry of Growing Families International, encourage them to check out the blog page right here at www.growingkids.org as well as www.gfi.org.
