Hello Parents! Thank you for taking the time to check out this area designed just for you! The purpose of this page is to provide you with some information about being a parent individually, as well as being a parent in the church!  It is hoped that you can find here some useful resources and encouragement as you raise your children.

How can Prince of Peace help me be a good parent?

There is no doubt that parents have a difficult job--so many choices and decisions to make regarding their children that have implications for today and the future. The Bible offers some basic strategies for healthy parenting. This guidance includes providing appropriate boundaries and structures for children, and taking time to teach children about God, Jesus and living faithfully in the world today.

Prince of Peace is here to assist you in your important work. Through its Sunday school, youth activities, confirmation and other regular events for parents, children and youth, the church provides religious instruction in a welcoming and caring environment. The church also welcomes any suggestions for ways of supplementing its program. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, be sure to contact the church office.

How can I make a difference through the church?

Parents make the biggest difference by raising their children to be faithful and mature citizens of the world. To accomplish that goal parents need to be deeply involved in the lives of their children, but parents must also take care of themselves.

Taking seriously your own spiritual journey is very important. Regular attendance in worship, participation in other church activities, and exhibiting a faithful life beyond the walls of the church make life happier for parents, and they become real examples of faithful living for children to emulate.

Prince of Peace, like all churches, depends on the willing and faithful efforts of volunteers. As you become more deeply involved in the life of Prince of Peace you will likely be asked to assist with some aspect of church life. The New Testament letter to the Ephesians reads, "The gifts (God) gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

Prince of Peace recognizes that everyone has unique abilities. It is the church’s desire to help each person utilize his or her special gifts to help shepherd and prepare children and youth for faithful service to those within and outside the church body. As parents, you can fulfill this role whether you are in an official leadership position within the Youth Education program or you simply pitch in and help out at any church activity. There are several specific areas within the church where parents are vitally important and needed, such as:

1. Take a turn as a Sunday school leader or Childcare provider,
2. Provide food, help decorate or offer leadership for an event, or
3. Act as a chaperone or provide transportation for an event

Protecting Children at Church:

At Prince of Peace, we seek to protect children from those who would harm and exploit them. To accomplish this goal there are many protections put in place within the programs and policies of the church. You can read about these in the Prince of Peace Minor Child Protection Policy. If you have any questions or suggestions please use the Web Site feedback area to bring them to the church’s attention and receive a prompt response.

Other Items of Interest:

Internet Safety:

• The Internet is an amazing tool for communication and information sharing. Indeed it is difficult to imagine life in the modern world without the internet. To keep families and children safe as they utilize the internet and related media, there are several practices that can be helpful.
• Do not allow children to share any personal information on-line without parental permission.
• Have a parent/child privacy talk. Teach them to talk to you about their online activity and to report if something or someone offensive interacts with them online.
• Keep computers in highly visible areas – ESPECIALLY, keep them out of children’s bedrooms.
• Remember that computers, TVs, video game, etc. are not babysitters and should not be used without adult supervision.
• Remind children that the internet is a tool, not a toy, and needs to be used carefully.
• Until an appropriate age (as determined by the parent) parents aught to monitor children’s email, instant messaging and text messaging for inappropriate activity.
• Consider a web filter to block unwanted websites.

Statistics:

• A survey of 2000 high school seniors found that students who regularly ate dinner with their families four or more times a week scored better in a battery of academic tests than those who ate family dinners three or fewer times a week.
• Cell phones and inexperience are the two leading factors to teenage driving accidents.
• 65% of parents and 64% of teens agree that kids do things online that they wouldn't want their parents to know about.
• Parents rank #1 as the spiritual influence of their kids. 10,000 Christian kids were asked what the top factors were for why they had grown in their Christian commitment: parents, tragedies, struggles, friends, youth leaders.
• Studies confirm that families who consistently eat together describe themselves as closer, more connected, and having less at-risk behavior.
• In the next 24 hours, 15,006 American teens will use drugs for the first time.
• More than half of the nation's 6th-12th graders drink alcohol.
• A large majority of parents think they have had serious discussions with their teens about drugs and alcohol, while only about half of teens think they have had such a talk with their parents.
• Even though studies show that 80% of parents feel responsible for their kids’ sex education, only 19% of kids get their info about sex from their parents.
• Research shows that teenagers need 10 hours of sleep per night to be alert, while most only get about 6.