by Scott Gronholz

Last year I had the privilege of taking two classes at Fuller Seminary with Chap Clark. I had known about Chap for a while, simply because I’m a youth director and he’s super well-known in youth ministry circles for being an academic youth ministry guru. There are few people like Chap in our field, who is down to earth and practical, but also rigorous and scholarly in the way that he writes and thinks about today’s teenagers.

I was challenged and inspired in every class. Chap is an expert in his field, and he has a mastery of the material that he teaches. He is one of the most charismatic and inspiring presenters I’ve ever been in a classroom with, and he’s also extremely pastoral. He started every class session with a devotional that focused our attention on Christ and why we were taking the class in the first place. All that to say- I’m a huge fan of Chap Clark, and I am totally indebted to him for helping me in profound ways to have a deeper understanding of what this youth ministry stuff is all about.

Dianne Ross and I have invited Chap Clark to come and do his Parenteen seminar on Monday, March 12, 6:45- 9:00 pm! We think this is going to be an invaluable opportunity for our Bethany community to spend an evening thinking about how we engage the youth of our church.

Here is a description:

Parenteen...is specifically focused on what it means to see parenting as stewardship from God. The focus will be on how God is calling parents to respond to their children in a highly secular and fragmented culture, what biblical discipleship looks like during the teen years, and how parents who have an authentic faith have the best chance of leading their children into a lifetime of commitment to God and his kingdom work.

We are partnering with First Free Methodist and Bethany Community to put on this event, and will host it in our church’s Fellowship Hall. This is a free event, open to our entire Bethany community.

Dianne and I both feel that the material presented during Parenteen is pertinent for anybody that has a relationship with a teenager or will have a teenager someday. I highly encourage you to make this event a priority. We are hoping it will be a springboard for discussion and reflection on how we come alongside our youth.

Hope to see you there!