Family Nights

Last night we tried our 2nd ever “Family Night”.  We promoted it as “a potluck dinner where teens and their families (yes, even their little brothers and sisters) come out for a fun night of great food and to get a little taste of what the New Life Student Ministry is like.”  But the wrinkle we added this time that we didn’t have at our 1st Family Night was to add a speaker.

See, in addition to the food and “taste” of the student ministry, we had a member of the Hope Counseling Center team come out and talk about how to “Manage Family Conflicts” from a Biblical perspective with the families.  It was something new, but I was really excited about this change in our Sunday night programming by inviting families to come join us and hear about family issues, not just teen issues.

The response that we have gotten back from families so far has been overwhelmingly positive.  Parents shared with me afterwards that they got to talk a few things over with their children that they wouldn’t have had we not done this event.  And even students told me that it was fun to have the freedom to share with their parents.

And that is a win for us.  I wanted families to talk and to hear about, from a reliable source (i.e. professional counselor) about family issues..together.  And, that was what happened.

Have you ever tried a “Family Night” before? How did it go?  What was your objective?  What did you do?  TAKE A MINUTE right now and share your “Family Night” experiences so that we can all learn from each other and benefit.