Some of our most memorable moments revolve around major milestones in our life; turning sweet 16, graduating high school, moving away from home, getting married. In the same way, new parents cherish the developmental milestones of their children; first smile, first tooth, first word, crawling, walking and of course . . . sleeping through the night.   In addition to these developmental milestones there are also spiritual ones.   Most parents have a desire to lead their children spiritually, but many times, our best effort at spiritual training is simply bringing our kids to church. This is only a small part of the solution.   We believe the church must partner with parents and equip them with resources to become the “primary faith trainer” for their children.   Healthy Spiritual development needs to extend beyond just a few hours on Sunday, which is why the Children’s Ministry at South Side has committed itself to partnering with families.  We have identified four Spiritual Milestones to help parents become better equipped as Spiritual leaders in their homes.

Milestone 1 – Baby Dedication: Understanding your role as the Spiritual Leader of your children and family.

Parent class:

• Thursday, May 10, 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the MacArthur Campus
• This class covers the topics: Understanding Baby Dedication, The Development of Your Child, and Building Biblical Foundations

Dedication Service:

• Sunday, May 13, during the Worship Services at both campuses

Milestone 2 – Salvation & Baptism: How to lead your child into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Parent and child class:

• Sunday, April 22, after services at both campuses
• This class covers the topics: Accepting Christ as Savior, Is My Child Ready?,  and Baptism & God’s Plan of Salvation.
• This is one class offered 3 separate times throughout the year

Milestone 3 – Adolescence: Preparing your preteen (4^th & 5^th graders) to embrace their identity in Christ

Parent class:

• Saturday, March 3, 3:00 – 5:00 pm at the MacArthur Campus
• This class covers: Topics like: Relating to Your Preteen, Facing the Challenges of Junior High, A Look at Today’s Culture, Faith That Prevails and Obstacles to Christian Living.

Milestone 4 – Purity: Leading your preteen to live a life of Biblical purity before and after marriage

Family Formal Banquet:

• Saturday, February 18th 5:00-7:00p.m. at the MacArthur Campus
• Biblical purity begins with a healthy understanding of your identity in Christ.  At this banquet we will be laying this foundation and then provide parents with resources to continue this conversation at home.