Dearest Ministry Partner,
Practical Help for Parents
:
Do you know someone who needs this?
Part of the work that God has called us to do is to offer classes and materials that give practical action steps to parents to help their children at home and, for those parents who want to step it up a notch, opportunities to engage in private coaching with us. Over the past few weeks, we have been hard at work creating affordable packages with audio classes that can be downloaded and electronic handouts that can be printed around particular topics that have been concerns for children. We thought that you might be curious about what we are up to and also that you might know folks who could benefit from these classes. These are the titles:
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Heart-Based Parenting for Your Child with Challenges,
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Long-Term Help for Struggling Students, and
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The Hyperactive Child.
Let us know if you would like to look inside any of these packages. Because you are a faith partner, we will be happy to share with you at no cost.
Blessings for Amy 
2017 is already proving to be filled with huge blessings for our Amy. First, we are praising God for the gift of a videographer mentor who spent three hours on a recent Friday morning opening up the world of details of putting together video testimonies. Erick is a father and grandfather and former professional TV news producer and cameraman who loves Jesus and who thinks Amy is talented in making videos.
Secondly, a woman who saw and was blessed by Amy's own personal video testimony
and who we recently met through a class we are taking at church, had upgraded her computer and stored her old MacBook Pro in her closet. When Marguerite heard that Amy was in need of a Mac to step up the quality of her videos, she gifted her MAC BOOK PRO to our Amy. This computer came complete with iMovie - the software Amy needed and has been wanting for a long time. If you hear the sound of rejoicing - it may just be the three of us over here delighting in God's goodness in sending Erick and Marguerite and His provision through these godly saints. Feel free to ask Amy how her video creations are coming. If you haven't yet seen Amy's video testimony, you can view it on her YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/2Pi-yrTGdRw
Serving a homeschool community
We are always humbled and filled with joy when given the opportunity to listen to parents who have children with challenges. Our hearts are so endeared to them. On a recent Monday night, Julie sat on a panel at a meeting of parents considering homeschooling as an educational option for their children. Some of those parents have children who have challenges. It was a privilege for both of us to meet the ones who stopped by our table afterwards, shared their struggles, and joined our "family" of March Forth Family and Champions4Parents by signing up to get our newsletters.
The parents with whom we talked shared experiences of ADHD, defiance, life-threatening allergies, seizures, depression, mood disorders, Autism, and more. These parents SO love their children. They are hurting because their children are hurting. They are trying to make some sense of their situation and run after the absolute best opportunities for their children. Oh how we love them. Oh how we ache for them. Oh how we want to serve them. Thank you for partnering with us so that we might bring hope and help to them.
Filling up the Tank
You may wonder if the three of us are taking seriously our need to be filled spiritually while we pour out. We are blessed to report that all three of us are involved in wonderful weekly Bible Studies where we delve into the Word of God with men and women who also desire to walk closer with our Savior. We also are the recipients of amazing Bible teaching through preaching and good accountability through fellowship groups. We praise God for providing these treasures in our daily lives.
Many are Struggling to Find a Good Fit at Church
Our hearts are also wrapped around families seeking to find a place to belong at a local church. Here in Lynchburg, we have the support of our church in reaching out to the parents here and in the community and leading a once-a-month meeting for those who are aching to spend time with other parents who "get it".
We hear from so many Christian parents around the country that they are having trouble finding a good fit for their families at church because of their children who have challenges. You know that we wish to make a difference in this area.
Maryland Opportunity
Many of you know that we came from the Annapolis, Maryland area before
God led us to move to Central Virginia. We have a dear friend in MD who is a special education teacher who has such a heart for children with challenges and their place at church. This friend, her name is Carolyn, is gathering some folks together in early March at the home of other dear friends who have a son with Down Syndrome who is now in his 50s and who also have a heart for other families. Carolyn has asked us to attend this meeting and we offered to facilitate it. The purpose of this gathering is to consider needs in the Annapolis and surrounding areas and to brainstorm some possible ways to love on what is often an "unreached people group". We would like to have representatives of several different churches and organizations join us for this meeting.
Would you pray? We know Jesus cares for special needs because he surrounded Himself with them during His earthly ministry. Would you pray that a community would rise up that would care and be ready, willing, and able to put their feet to ministry? Would you pray for wisdom as we reach out with invitations to church leaders and group leaders? Would you pray that God would begin even now to prick and soften the hearts of those who He will appoint to move this ministry forward?
This could be a potential beginning for pop-up ministries in other areas all over the country. There is great need and the need is growing.
While you are praying for this effort, would you also pray:
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for parents to find a good place for their families at good, Bible-believing churches
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for parents seeking good educational settings for their children
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that we would create classes and teachings and support packages that would empower parents and that God would connect them with us.
Thanks for walking with us in serving God's special ones.
