ministry

2003
* Marriage Booster Retreat Team
* New Yearʼs Eve Party Team
* Office
* Family Fest Newsletter writers
prayer chain
annual fundraiser
Golf Tourney
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2004.
Mark your calendars now!
FALL NEWSLETTER
ministry
TOFAMILIESBYFAMILIES
nities
volunteer opportu
If you have needs that you would like others to pray
about, please email them to familyfest @mn.rr.com or
call call _____________ at _____________________
____. If you would like to be part of the prayer chain
that will pray for others, please let us know by either
email or calling _______.
online resources
Movie and TV Reviews: Check out
www.pluggedinmag.com and www.almenconi.com.
Both these sites give valuable information on movies,
music, video games, and youth culture.
needs
Family Fest needs a small portable sound system
to be used at presentations. If you would like to
help us with this, please let us know.
WelcometotheveryfirstissueoftheFamilyFestNewsletter.
Thisnewsletterisbeingsenttoeveryoneonourmailinglistin
orderthatyouwillknowwhatFamilyFestisaboutandthatyou
willknowwhateventsarecomingupinthefutureforFamilyFest.
Wealsowanttoprovidesomeresourcestoyouthatmightbe
helpfultoyourfamily.Wehopethatyouwillenjoythisperiodic
newsletter.Ifyouwouldbeinterestedinhelpingtoputthis
newslettertogether,pleasegiveusacall.
ols
marriage to
let me tell you
WhenIwasgrowingupwithmy13brothersandsisters,myfavoritetimeofthe
yearwasHalloween.ItwastheonenightthatIcouldgoourandcollectabag
ofcandytohaveformyself.TheotherreasonthatIlovedthatnightwasbecause
notonlydidwegetallthecandy,wealsohadmyfavoritemealoftheyear.Every
Halloweenbeforemymomwouldsendusouttrickortreating,shewouldmakea
mealthatwasnormallyreservedforSundaybrunch;pancakes.Ilovedpancakes!
Icouldn’tgetenoughpancakes.Startingatabout4:30thetwogiantgriddlesand
thethreefryingpanswerepulledouttomaketheallyoucaneatfeast.There
werealwaysconteststoseewhocouldeatthemost.Icouldnevercatchmyolder
brothers’dozenormorecakes,butsohelpmeItried.BythetimeweweredoneI
couldbarelymove–buttherewascandythatneededtobeclaimed.Itwasfunny
howIneverhadmuchofanappetitewhileIwastrickortreating.Whilemyfriends
wereconstantlyeatingtheirMilkDudsandBubsDaddyBubbleGum,mycandy
stayedinthebag.Itwasn’tuntilwewereolderthatweunderstoodthewisdom
andclevernessofourmom.Sheknewhowtofillourstomachswithsomethingwe
lovedbeforewewouldfillourstomachswithsomethingthatwouldmakeussick.
Thereisalotofthingsinthisworldthatcanmakeourkidssick,notjustphysically,
butemotionallyandspiritually.Itcanbehardforkidstohavethewillpowerto
resistthosethingsthatlooksogood.Asparentsweneedtofillourkidswiththe
spiritualtruthsthatwillallowourkidstoresistthosethingsthatcanlookgoodon
theoutsidebutaresodestructiveontheinside.
winter w
eekend a
lready
EnrichYourMarriage
Allowustohelpyoubuildastrongerandhappiermarriageby
signingupfortheENRICHInventoryfromLifeInnovations.You
beginbytakingtheENRICHinventorywhichwillidentifyyour
strengthsasacouple.Wewillthensetupsessionswithyouto
reviewthefeedback.CallPeteat952.881.0939ifyouwould
liketoincreasethevitalityandhappinessofyourmarriage.
PrepareforMarriage
Webelievethatastrongmarriageisthefoundationforastrong
family.Ifyouknowsomeonewhoisgettingmarried,FamilyFest
canhelpthemgetofftoagreatstart.UtilizingLifeInnovation’s
PREPAREInventorywecanhelpcouplesidentifyareasof
strengthandgrowth,improvecommunication,increasetheir
abilitytoresolveconflict,anddiscusspersonal,coupleand
familygoals.
LET’S PARTY
!
NewYear’sEveParty
Areyoureadyforsomerealfamilyfun?JoinusonNew
Year’sEvefrom6pmuntil10:30pm(10:00pmismidnight
somewhere!)foragreatcelebrationwithfamilies.Wewill
sendyoumoreinformationaboutthisinthenextfewmonths.
Ifyouwouldbewillingtohelpinthecoordinationofthis
event,callPeteattheFamilyFestoffice.
?
MarkyourcalendarsforFamilyFest’sWinterWeekend.Wehavetwo
longweekendstochoosefromthisyear:MartinLutherKingWeekend
(January16-19)orPresident’sDayWeekend(February13-16).
Wewouldloveyourfamilytojoinusthiswinterforagreatgetawayat
thebeautifulGrandViewLodgeinNisswa,Minnesota!Thisweekendis
atimeforfun,spiritualgrowthandrenewal,sharinganddeepeningor
relationshipswithyourfamilyandfriends.
“Greatfun,greatmusic,greatspeakers,greatkid’sprogram,
greatfamilytime,greatspiritualgrowthforourfamily!”
“Thiswasaveryspecial4-day,2-nightretreatforus.”
H
new RESEARC
AnewstudybytheBarnaResearchGroup(Ventura,CA)foundthat
abouttwo-thirdsofteensintheMidwestattendedchurchevents
anaverageoftwoormoretimespermonth.Whilenineoutoften
ofthoseteenssaidthattheywereexposedtoBiblestoriesandthe
livesofgreatpeopleintheBible,andthattheyhadafunorpositive
experiencerelatedtoreligion,onlyabouthalffeltthattheyhad
enoughunderstandingoftheBibletomakedecisionsbasedupon
biblicalprinciples.–TeensEvaluatetheChurch-BasedMinistryThey
ReceivedasChildren(BarnaResearch7/8/03)
RegistrationformswillbeinthemailearlyOctober.Letusknowifyou
havefamiliesthatyouwouldlikeustoinvite.Youmaycalloremailyour
listtous.
r retreat
e
t
s
o
o
b
e
g
marria
Whenwasthelasttimeyouandyourspousehadtimetoreally
focusoneachotherandtheissuesthattouchyourmarriageand
family?JoinusattheFamilyFestMarriageBoosterRetreatcoming
thisNovember15thattheHeartAliveEventCenterinBrooklyn
Center.We’lllookatcommunications,intimacy,dealingwith
conflict,maintainingjoyinyourrelationship,parenting,emotional
needs,andmore.
Don’tfear…thisisn’talectureseries.TheMarriageBoosterretreat
isaninteractiveanduniqueexperience.Prepareyourselfforfun,
laughter,thought-provokingdialogue,andveryspecialmusical
performances.(Pleasenote:ThisisthesameprogramastheApril
retreat).
Letusknowifthereareothercouplesthatyouwouldliketoaddto
ourFamilyFestinvitationandmailinglist.
Wearealsolookingforpeoplewhohavebeenontheretreat
whoareinterestedinbeingontheMBRplanningteam.Ifyouare
interested,pleasecallPeteat952.881.0939
ideas for family fun
and growth
Lookingforfunideaswithyourfamily?Trythese.
1.Jokenight.Haveajokenightonceaweekatdinner.Thisisa
greatwaytokeepkidsatthetableandenjoyingeachother.
2.DesignAGame.Mostgamesthatyoubuyinastorecamefrom
gamesthatpeoplemadeuptoplaywithfamilyandfriends.Come
upwithyourowngamethatfitstheageofyourkids.You’llhave
atonoffunandthenyoucansellthegametoMiltonBradleyand
payforyourkidscollegeeducation!
FamilyGrowth
Lookingforwaysforyourfamilytogrowspiritually?Trythis.
1.Praywithyourkids.Therearen’tmanythingsthatcouldbe
moreimportanttothespiritualgrowthofafamilythanprayer.
Yetveryfewfamiliesdothisonaconsistentbasis.Somehave
nevertriedit,whileothersdiditforawhileandthengotoutof
thehabit.Fallisagreattimetorenewyourprayertimewithyour
family.Ifyouhaveneverhadafamilyprayertime,giveitatry.
Asimplewaythatyoucandoitisforeveryonetoshareonething
thattheyaregratefulforandonethingthattheyneedothersinthe
familytoprayfor.