Family Time
WHAT IS FAMILY TIME?
It's a collection of resources that provide tools, practical advice and support to parents of children and teenagers. The aim is to empower parents to move from simply surviving family life to being proactive in leading families that are not only strong in themselves but also seek to make a difference in the communities in which they live.
Family Time is based on Christian principles, and aims to equip and envision every parent, whether Chritian or not, to deal with the many issues they come up against in family life.
The resources come under two headings, Parenting Children and Parenting Teenagers.
Parenting Children
Pioneered by Mark and Lindsay Melluish, Family Time was first launched as a book in 1999. This was republished Family Time: Parenting Children in 2007. It is largely aimed at parents with children under 12, although the material is relevant to parents with older children. 
THE COURSE
Family Time: Parenting Children can be run as a 10-week parenting course. The aim is to help parents take time out to reflect and gain inspiration from others, as well as finding a fresh vision for their family.
The desire is that everyone who does the course gains insight into how to bring up their children confidently and to the glory of God.
Course material, including weekly talks and Power Point presentations, can be downloaded free of charge. GO>>
The handbook is for delegates to use throughout the course. Each chapter accompanies one of the 10 sessions of the course. BUY>>
The DVD
All 10 sessions are available to buy on DVD. This takes the pressure off small groups or busy parents to plan and prepare the talks for every session. Instead, they can get a group of parents together informally, over coffee or after a meal, watch the DVD at leisure and engage in discussion afterwards. It is an ideal way for parents to draw families in the community into a non-threatening Christian environment. BUY>>
THE BOOK
This mines the wisdom that comes to us from the Bible, exploring in a practical way how we can raise our children within the framework of God's liberating, unconditional love.
The focus is on the family as a whole: how we relate to one another, as well as how we relate to those around us. BUY>>
Reviews:
'A splendid book for families everywhere: full of wise, thoughtful advice and practical ideas on the art of parenting that really work!'
Lyndon and Celia Bowring, CARE
'Of all the books available on family life Mark and Lindsay's is the best I've read! They provide practical, biblical encouragement to all those seeking to make a good family great.'
Mike Breen
'Bringing up children is a priority. Mark and Lindsay have provided a challenging and practical book on parenting. It will help us build good values into our children's lives.'
Mary Pytches
Parenting Teenagers
Sometimes it feels like your teenage children are living in another world... But Family Time Parenting Teenagers is based on the belief that it is possible for parents to retain a guiding hand in their teenagers' lives, while learning to give them the space they need to stretch their wings and fly.
Developed by Paul and Christine Perkin and launched as a 6-session course in July 2007, Parenting Teenagers aims to help parents identify the areas in which they are strong, and those where they wish to improve. 
THE COURSE
Course material, including the full leaders' script for each session, is available to download free:
• 'A Galaxy far, far away' The Teenage Universe
• 'On the Radar Screen' Teenage Communication - encouraging a healthy self-esteem
• 'Built to Last' Teenage Growth
• 'Boundaries and Battlefields' Teenage Tensions
• 'Security, Sex and Substances' Teenage Issues
• 'Consumerism, Cash and Cyberspace' Teenage Pressures
The course handbook is for delegates to use throughout the course. Each chapter accompanies one of the 6 sessions of the course. BUY>>
Delegate reviews:
"It gave us fresh hope and motivation to reconnect with our teenager."
"The course allowed us to be real about our struggles."
"After our first classic teenage confrontation, we referred back in desperation to the handbook. It all began to make sense! It was so helpful to remind each other how we might handle it differently next time."
THE DVD
The full, 6-session course is also being launched on DVD and will be out this summer! There's no need to plan or prepare talks, just press play! This allows you to gather parents together informally, over coffee or after a meal, watch at leisure and engage in discussion afterwards.
THE BOOK
The Parenting Teenagers book will be available to buy in July 2008. It covers all six sessions of the course, offering parents of teenagers insightful and practical help as they navigate the teenage years.
More information coming soon.
Running a course
The Family Time courses present churches with a unique opportunity to build bridges into local communities and meet parents at their point of need. They're ideal for use in your local church or school, or anywhere else where you have a community of parents.
A typical evening begins with a talk, followed by refreshments and then discussion groups. All the course material is free to download, but you are encouraged to take some time to plan each session in advance, incorporating your own examples and experiences.
Advertising a course
Packs of invitations and posters are available to buy, which will help you advertise your course. They provide space to enter times, dates and contact details, and also include a generic application form. The invitations also give an overview of a typical course. They are all available to buy now from New Wine Direct GO>>
Why run a Family Time course?
1) Many people are lacking in confidence when it comes to leading their family. These courses empower parents to be the mother or father God has called them to be. They equip you to be a great source of encouragement and strength, whatever the age of your children.
2) They draw people into the church. If your church has contact with people through baptisms, weddings, toddler or youth groups, you may have wondered what you can offer that might encourage them to come back some day. A parenting course could be the answer. It’s a way of strengthening and empowering the people in our community.
3) By running regular courses you become known as a place where stuff happens for families and children of all ages, or a church that is family friendly – what a marvellous thing to offer your community! It's good to run courses regularly, whether it be once a year or more frequently. This way you can tell people when the next course will be and if they miss one they won’t feel they have missed out completely.
4) It can be a proactive way of growing contacts in the wider community. Not only are the courses a great resource for parents, but they provide you with an opportunity to build relationships with your neighbours. Parenting courses are always welcomed by the local community; GP surgeries are running courses, as are local health visitors and even some school. We have an opportunity to get involved, to meet people where they're at, and scratch where they're itching! 
5) Parents can meet other parents. Most of us in life look for a connection and friendship with like-minded people. There is a common bond between people at the same life stage. By running a Family Time course, you can bring together like-minded people and connect the community.
Conferences
New Wine run conferences for people interested in running either the Parenting Children or Parenting Tenagers course in their local church or community. The next conference is in March 2009. More details coming soon.
CONTACT
If you have any further questions about Family Time, please email Cathy Webber at cathy.webber@stpauls-ealing.org or phone 020 8799 3778.