27 Aug Orange Leader or Orange Parent?

Posted at 14:11h in 2018, Once, Uncategorized by lisa 0 Comments
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I’m Both

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I will occasionally step away from my usual “environment/set design” posts, to discuss leadership topics or share about my experience with the Orange Strategy. Today is one of those days, as I have some exciting news for both leaders and parents!

While the Orange strategy was developed for churches, it was created with parents in mind. At it’s bedrock, is the encouragement of a partnership between the local church and the families it serves. As an elementary director for the local church, Orange has shaped my leadership in so many ways, but it has equally shaped my parenting.

Foundations

I was actually first introduced to the idea of Orange as a parent in 1999. My husband and I had just moved to Atlanta, GA and I began attending North Point Community Church. Reggie Joiner was the Family Ministry Director there and while the Orange organization had not yet launched, the beginnings of it were apparent. My daughters were ages 4 and 2 when I began attending NPCC and I had just begun my personal relationship with Jesus. I was hungry to learn anything and everything I could about how to best raise my children in faith. I am so grateful that at such a pivotal time in my life, I was able to glean the wisdom that now rests inside books like Parenting Beyond Your Capacity and Playing For Keeps/Losing Your Marbles. 

I attended KidStuf with my children (the original FX, aka Family Experience) and received my first marble jar at a parenting seminar where Reggie Joiner taught that, “When we see how much time we have left, we tend to do more with the time we have now.” The jar was actually a small plastic container with pony beads and I received one for each of my daughters. While it was not the legacy marble jars of today, the concept was the same; 936 beads, representing the number of weeks I had with my girls from the time they were born to the time they would graduate from high school. In those early years of parenting and as I began to work in ministry, Orange taught me how to fight for the heart and widen my parenting circle. It taught me to think with the end in mind, create a rhythm for my family, and make sure I made relational, emotional, and spiritual growth a priority in my own life. These family values have been at the heart of my parenting journey and continue even now as I have two adult daughters. 

I am so grateful for all that I’ve learned from Orange as a leader, but even more so as a parent. That’s why I am super excited that this year, the Orange Tour has added a very special component! 

Coming to a City Near You!

The Orange Tour is is a one-day event in 17 cities across the country. I’ll be attending in Lancaster, PA – so be sure to find me if you’re there too! Every year, the tour has included something called Lead Small the night before the one-day event. It is included in the cost of the tour ticket and is geared toward small group leaders. It offers fun and practical training where leaders engage in conversations that help them impact the lives of kids and students at every phase.

This year, in addition to Lead Small, the Orange Tour is offering a unique gathering to help parents become more connected to their community of faith and more intentional at home. 

PARENT CUE LIVE!

Parent Cue LIVE is a two-hour experience where parents will have the opportunity to:

  • REDISCOVER what their kids need most in every phase
  • REPRIORITIZE how they engage with their kids every week
  • REIMAGINE how to dialogue with their kids about critical issues
  • RETHINK ways to partner with a church to impact their kid’s future

Every parent desires to better understand their kids, engage with them more intentionally, and learn how to dialogue with them about critical issues. So if you’re a parent, I encourage you to attend Parent Cue Live. If you are a family ministry leader, I encourage you to invite every parent in your church to attend Parent Cue Live. 

The price of Orange Tour registration includes the one day tour event and both events the night before! You can also register for the Parent Cue Live event separately. Check the schedule and see if the tour is coming to a city near you. Then rally the parents in your community and make a road trip! I truly believe it will be well worth your time.

I hope to see you in Lancaster!