Adventism and Porn

Did you know that 90% of young boys and 60% of young girls have been exposed to porn before they reach the age of 18?

Why do people look at porn? What’s the difference between shame and guilt? Does being Christian have an overall effect on usage rates in the church? In this episode, Dr. Brad Hinman talks about the continued rise of porn addiction, specifically in the Adventist church and why it seems to be getting worse, even among clergy.  Listen to understand the psychological and physiological reasons why so many men and women seem to be addicted to porn and how one may begin recovery.

Listen Here

 

Day of Hope and Compassion-- April 21-22, 2018

To celebrate our hope, which is fueled by a present life of Compassion and Wholeness, our President Dan Jackson has called for a Day of Hope & Compassion:

Day of Hope & Compassion (April 21-22, 2018) calls for all Adventist Churches, Elementary Schools, Academies, Colleges, Universities, and Hospitals across our Division to join together in reaching out to our neighborhoods, towns, and cities, with our message of Hope and our lifestyle of Compassion. Pastor Dan Jackson, President of the Adventist Church in North America, envisions grand collaboration among church members, church departments, and institutions to bring hope through service, acts of kindness, social media postings, and inspiring, practical literature, which benefits the community in their everyday life. Please, mark your calendars, we need total involvement to make it a reality.

Resources: the North American Division will develop resources and create a media promotional campaign to assist congregations, schools, and hospitals for this extraordinary celebration.

Modeling Hope & Compassion: the North American Division Leadership Team will celebrate the Day of Hope & Compassion by partnering with the local churches, Conferences, and Union in the City of Columbia, Maryland, the home to the future new Headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America. Pastor Dan Jackson and our North American Division Leadership Team would love to see all Union and Conferences Leadership Teams do the same in their geographical areas.

(This exerpt was taken from http://compassionmovement.org/day-of-hope-and-compassion/

SCREEN-FREE WEEK is almost here!

We are so excited that screen-free week is just around the corner! We want to hear about everything you're doing to PLAY OUTSIDE! Stay tuned for outdoor games and fun activities to play with the kiddos! 

In fact... here are a few ideas:

Check out this post card made by Sherri Uhrig, the Children's Ministries director-- Giving you some interesting facts! 

February-- Black History Month.

"The achievements and contributions of African-Americans to U.S. history have been celebrated in this country since 1926. February became the month for recognition because it marks the birthdays of two men who positively influenced African Americans in the U.S.: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. 

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides, which occurred in May 1961. Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia) was a key civil rights activist during that time. He spoke to Kid Reporter Henry Dunkelberger about those days when he was beaten and jailed fighting for a law that was on the books but not being observed in the south." 

-Scholastic.com

What is your local church or community doing to commemorate Black History month? We only have a few days left. 

Another great resource for girls!

Stumbled upon this GREAT resource and we just HAD TO share!

Secret Keeper Girl is a great resource for parents to connect with their Tween/Teen girls!

They have so many great FREE resources for us to use that help connect parents to their daughters and most importantly... To Jesus! 

CLICK HERE to see their website!

And CLICK HERE to take their "Modesty Test" which they've made! It's pretty creative! They call it "Truth or Bare."

Gorgeous 2 God.

Did you know that Women's ministries of North America has a blog dedicated to connecting teen girls to God and tackling tough issues that challenge them every day? This blog also offers REAL answers to tough issues and a confidential Q&A message board where they can write about ANYTHING anonymously and are answered by a Christmas mentor. 

To connect with them, use #Gorgeous2God or follow them Instagram or Pinterest as well by finding them with @Georgeous2God

Check our their blog and share! It's time we started being real with our girls. Think about it. If we're not, someone else will be. 

Talking to Children About Disasters!

Check out this article written by healthychildren.org that is relevant to what MANY kids are facing in the United States these days with all the events that are occurring! ChildrensMinistry.com also talks about this manner. 

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Talking to Children about Disasters

Children can cope more effectively with a disaster when they feel they understand what is happening and what they can do to help protect themselves, family, and friends. Provide basic information to help them understand, without providing unnecessary details that may only alarm them.

• Very Young Children: Provide concrete explanations of what happened and how it will affect them (e.g., a tree branch fell on electrical wires and that is why the lights do not work). Let children know there are many people who are working to help them and their community to recover after a disaster (such as repair crews for the electric company, or firefighters, police, paramedics, or other emergency personnel). Share with them all of the steps that are being taken to keep them safe; children will often worry that a disaster will occur again.
• Older Children: They will likely want, and benefit from, additional information about the disaster and recovery efforts. No matter what age, start by asking children what they already know and what questions they have and use that as a guide for the conversation.Limit media coverage of the disaster—if children are going to watch media coverage, consider taping it (to allow adults to preview) and watch along with them to answer questions and help them process the information. While children may seek and benefit from basic information about what happened so that they can understand what is happening in their world, they (and adults) do not benefit from graphic deils or exposure to disturbing images or sounds. In the aftermath of a crisis is a good time to disconnect from all media and sit down together and talk as a family.

Be sure to ask children what questions or concerns they have. Often they have fears based on limited information or because they misunderstood what they were told. Reassure children when able to do so, but if their fears are realistic, do not give false reassurance. Instead, help them learn how to cope with these feelings. See the following articles for more information:

• How Children of Different Ages Respond to Disasters
• Responding to Children's Emotional Needs during Times of Crisis

How Parents Can Help Children Cope:

After a disaster or crisis, children benefit from adults who can help them learn how to cope effectively. Although it is not useful for adults to appear overwhelmed by the event, it is helpful for them to share some of their feelings and what they are doing to deal with those feelings. Children cannot be expected to cope with troubling feelings if no one models effective coping. Allow children to "own" their feelings.

• Let your child know that it is all right to be upset about something bad that happened. Use the conversation to take the opportunity to talk about other troubling feelings your child may have. A child who feels afraid is afraid, even if adults think the reason for the fear is unnecessary.
• If you feel overwhelmed and/or hopeless, look for some support from other adults before reaching out to your child. See the following articles for more information:
  • Taking Care of Yourself during Disasters: Info for Parents
  • When Things Aren't Perfect: Caring for Yourself & Your Children
• Don't feel obligated to give a reason for what happened. Although adults often feel the need to provide a reason for why someone committed such a crime, many times they do not know. It is okay to tell your child that you do not know why at this time such a crime, for example, was committed.
• Allow children to express their regrets over "secondary losses"(without accusing them of being selfish) and help them figure out ways to minimize the impact or find alternatives. Children are not only trying to deal with the disaster, but with everything else that follows. They may have to relocate, at least temporarily, and could be separated from friends or unable to attend the same school. Parents may have less income and the change in finances may impact their ability to participate in activities they enjoyed or travel to visit family out of town.

Let's get walkin'

Did you know that every year NAD VBS picks a mission project to sponsor? They encourage kids to collect donations to help other kids in need! (Find out more here: Operation Wheels)

This year, our VBX (Vacation Bible Experience), Cactusville, is featuring "Operation Wheels". Operation Wheels is a Kids-helping-kids Refugee Mission project. 

In 2016, nearly 85,000 refugee came to the United States! Arizona, where Operation Wheels funds are headed, is in the top 6 in the nation of states that receive refugees!

We are so excited about this mission project that we decided it was time that not only the children raised funds, but we did too! Children's Ministries of the North American Divison is encouraging our directors, presenters, SS teachers, parents, and staff to participate in a Walk-a-thon!

So here is how it work!

What? A walk-a-thon. Simply get people to sponsor your activity! (Ex; $.50 per lap or mile, $5.00 per lap or mile). Here is the petition for you can use: Petition Form

Who? YOU! That's right. If you love children, and are passionate about Operation Wheels and what everything that Operation Wheels does... You're in!

Where? Right where you are. Just pick a spot, and start walking. Use an app to track your progress. Here's a list of a few good ones: List of Apps

When? From now until December 31st. Choose a day that works best for you or your family! 

How? Use #OperationWheelsVBX to promote and push this initiative on your social media pages! Wear your shirts (Order your shirt by emailing katibritton@nadadventist.org --Just $10 a shirt) and start asking around for sponsors! 

WE ARE SO EXCITED!

We've been working hard to keep you current on latest news, stories, and resources for your homes and churches and we are just so excited to spread the word.

Our friend, Henry Guerra, has recorded a promotional video for us to share! So if you're trying to get people to learn more about Children's Ministries... we invite you to share this video! And we even have it in Spanish too!

Check it out! 

It's here!

Yes! You read that correctly! We are done with our Children's Sabbath 2017 materials and they're ready for you to download for FREE!

CLICK HERE for all the pieces to an excellent Children's Sabbath program for your church!

Remember to take lots of pictures and use #ChildrensSabbath2017 on your pictures on social media for us to see how it's going!