In Naperville, a group of caring adults formed KidsMatter to raise the consciousness of parents, educators and leaders about values that steer kids in a positive direction.
Spiritual values and parental involvement are two of the 40 community assets KidsMatter hopes to ensure for Naperville children. Fortunately, parents can get help from Janice Rubin and Diane Overgard.
Rubin, a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, lives in Naperville’s Winding Creek subdivision with her husband, Jeff, and their three children. She has a passion for integrating Christian values into the way parents prepare their kids for adulthood.
“I’m convinced parents need hope in something other than themselves,” Rubin said. “Every mother and father has days when their kids disappoint them or they are overwhelmed by the stresses of what’s going on in the home (and) they throw their hands up in the air feeling helpless… I’ve discovered that god’s Word has answers for such dilemmas.”
Rubin and Overgard founded Family Impact several years ago and share their insights by facilitating small groups and leading parenting workshops at churches and schools. Because parents often are left to raise kids without help from extended family living nearby, parents have been drawn to group settings where they can share their struggles and encourage each other.
Rubin long has believed many more people want to learn what the Bible says about raising kids. She also has discovered that many want to be part of a small, self-guided group but aren’t sure how to proceed without a leader. With that in mind, Rubin began to think about writing a book.
“Diane and I realized that by compiling our content in a single volume, we could impact a greater number of families,” Rubin said. “We were confident that by illustrating what we believe about healthy family life with take-away stories from the Bible, we could also write it so groups could use it.”
Aware that many excellent books and meaningful Bible study curriculums already have been written on parenting, Rubin and Overgard, both professional family life educators with backgrounds in child development and family systems, have worked hard not to duplicate what others have done.
“What we’ve done is unique,” Rubin said. “We’ve created a very practical tool that promotes a healthy Christian home while teaching sound developmental parenting skills. Our material encourages relationship-building activities as well as a conscious dependence on God.”
The result of their efforts is “Let’s Talk Parenting: Ten Bible Characters Every Family Should Meet.” Released last fall, the soft-cover book is designed for individual readers but provides a framework for small group study.
Each of the 10 Bible characters in “Let’s Talk Parenting” illustrates a key idea essential to parenting with confidence and drawing on diving help. For example, Esther illustrates that God has a plan for parents. Martha calls attention to the fact that values guide our priorities. Thomas teaches that each child is unique. And Per illustrates how mistakes provide opportunities to learn.
Rubin and Overgard have created a user-friendly curriculum. Each session is outlined to allow for coming to terms with the challenges of parenting, understanding the Biblical character and reflecting on strengths and weaknesses in one’s present approach. The book has adequate space for readers to write responses to questions the authors pose.
I’ve seen Rubin in a variety of community settings. The enthusiasm and conscientiousness she puts into her roles as mother, school volunteer, church member, neighborhood activist and runner are qualities that mark her every effort. This book is no exception.
Though it has been available only a few months, “Let’s Talk Parenting” is being used in churches in Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia and Maryland. It is a compliment to the authors that many denominations find the book acceptable. To date, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist and Catholic congregations are praising it.
Copies of “Let’s Talk Parenting” can be ordered online at www.familyimpact.net or by calling (630) 416-6131. The book also is for sale at Anderson’s Bookshop or Vine and Branches in Naperville as well as at John’s Christian Stores in Carol Stream.
© 2003 Daily Herald, Paddock Publications, Inc.
