How’s your family doing these days? For those of us with school age children or grandchildren, the summer is here this week! School is out and the greatly anticipated and sometimes “dreaded” summer schedule is about to begin! I hope the summer of 2010 will be a good one for you and yours! It looks like gas prices are taking a downward turn which is good news for most of us! Keep praying that BP will be able to cap their runaway oil leak soon and for all the people affected along the southern coast.

I recently received a State of the Family report from Focus on The Family. The news about the American Family was somewhat discouraging. Here are some of the stats.

Unmarried Childrearing
The rate of births to unmarried women has more than doubled since 1980, from 18% of 1980 births to 40% of births today.

Cohabitation
America has seen a 14-fold increase in unmarried cohabitation (an unmarried man and woman living together) since 1960.

Increasing Childlessness
Only 40% of Americans agreed that “children are very important to a successful marriage” in 2007. That number was 65% as recently as 1990.

Busyness
Nearly 3 out of 5 Christians say their hectic schedules prevent them from spending enough time with God. American parents spend 40% less time with their children than they did 50 years ago.

Not all the news is bad, Glenn T. Stanton gives us “The Seven List” to encourage families. Here’s the “Top Tips to Make your Family Stronger.” Ideas to use and ideas to share!

1. Eat dinner as a family four nights a week at least. Making time to eat dinner together will help your
    family stay connected and confront conflict easier.
2. Develop family hobbies. Hobbies help children define themselves and find a sense of purpose so
    they’re not as likely to hang out at the mall, watch television or stare at a computer screen.
3. Engage with your children online. Help your children learn and practice healthy internet habits.
4. Focus. What children need most is time and undivided attention from their parents. They would gladly
    do without money or things for more time with Mom and Dad.
5. Serve together. Serving helps children see beyond themselves to the needs of others in their lives
    and their communities. Volunteer to serve the homeless. Mow the yard of a neighbor who’s unable.
6. Parent time. Parents need to show their children that the marriage relationship is important and
    takes time. Model marriage for your children and talk with them about why you do what you do.
7. Take the TV out of the bedroom. Marketers spend more than $15 billion dollars every year marketing
    to children. As children watch commercials they learn to place worth in material possessions. Combat
    this message by monitoring TV time and keeping the family television in a family room, not a bedroom.

Summer often allows some more relaxed time with family with Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day opportunities. I hope you’ll invest time with your family and extended family, not only “recreating,” but also “re-creating.” Keep your time with Lord as a first priority and keep your church family in your prayers. First Church doesn’t take a vacation, so you’re continued faithful support all summer is needed as well. If you get to go away this summer, I hope you’ll make an effort to worship with other believers. I’d love to see the worship folders from the churches you visit as well! God’s family is the best family in the world!

Yours in Christ,
Mark

P.S. Please keep our Bishop Robert Hayes in your prayers as he leads Annual Conference in Tulsa next week. Our Lay delegate Bill Parks and Leslie, along with us will be gone Memorial Day thru next Wednesday. Look forward to seeing you this Sunday! Blessings!