When parents around the world describe the qualities that make their family strong, these are some of the things they talk about.

APPRECIATION AND AFFECTION

• Caring for each other
• Friendship
• Respect for individuality
• Playfulness
• Humor

ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESS AND CRISIS

I gave you life,
but I cannot live it for you.
I can teach you things
but I cannot make you learn.
I can give you directions
but I cannot always be there to lead you.
I can allow you freedom
but I cannot account for it.
I can take you to church
but I cannot make you believe.
I can teach you right from wrong
but I can’t always decide for you.
I can buy you beautiful clothes
but I cannot make you lovely inside.
I can offer you advice
but I cannot accept it for you.
I can give you love
but I cannot force it upon you.
I can teach you to be a friend
but I cannot make you one.
I can teach you to share
but I cannot make you unselfish.
I can teach you respect
but I can’t force you to show honor.
I can grieve about your report card
but I cannot doubt your teachers.
I can advise you about friends
but I cannot choose them for you.
I can teach you about sex
but I cannot keep you pure.
I can tell you the facts of life
but I can’t build your reputation.
I can tell you about drink
but I can’t say NO for you.
I can warn you about drugs
but I can’t prevent you from using them.
I can tell you about lofty goals,
but I can’t achieve them for you.
I can teach you kindness,
but I can’t force you to be gracious.
I can warn you about sins
but I cannot make your morals
I can love you as a daughter or son
but I cannot place you in God’s Family.
I can pray for you
but I cannot make you walk with God.
I can teach you about Jesus
but I cannot make HIM your Saviour.
I can teach you to OBEY
but I cannot make Jesus Your Lord.
I can tell you how to live
but I cannot give you Eternal Life.
–Source Unknown

Strayed
(Song and Lyrics by Church of Rhythm)

When I was young I grew up in a Christian family
I wanted to please my parents
I wanted them to be so proud of me
So I took their faith and I learned their religion
And I went to a church where everyone was a Christian

Simple Icebreaker Ideas

People introduce themselves with their first pet’s name (or doll’s name if they didn’t have a pet) as their first name and the street they lived on as their second. If your first pet was a dog named “Lucky” and you lived on Cross Street, you would be Lucky Cross.

Icebreaker Description
A fast-paced icebreaker game for youth where partners quickly share answers to a question from the facilitator. Partners and questions are changing all the time.

Icebreaker Materials
(Optional) “Chatter Bugs” handouts containing a list of questions for youth that are somehow connected to your session theme or topic.

Here are some suggestions to help parents and youth workers to effectively teach young people how to handle disappointments that occur in their daily lives:

1. Try to see situations from the child’s point of view as well as your own.

“I’ve discovered something” I said.

“See, even as we get older we continue to learn,” he replied with a chuckle.

I took my dog, Phil, to the vet yesterday. When the doctor came into the room he was limping.

“Should I ask how you are doing?” I said.

Youth Game Description
In this youth game idea, a person in the center of a group of youth must identify the leader who begins an action that everyone else in the youth group imitates.

Game Materials
None

Game Description
Teams of youth move toward the finish line in small hops, connected like a caterpillar with many legs.

Game Materials
No additional game supplies are needed.

Optimal Group Size for Game
Any number of youth