Raising a child has never been an easy task.
Ask any parent.
Parenting takes a lot of trust and prayer, said Greg Rommel, minister of family and congregational life at Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel.
The rewards and benefits easily outweigh the stresses of the job, but don't take away the struggles families face, area ministers say.
Because families need help with raising children, several area churches are offering parenting seminars designed to provide the resources parents need for their fast-paced lives.
By covering topics from slowing down the pace to dealing with strong-willed children, the study courses reach nearly every aspect of family life.
The Bible provides the basics for families, and most of the studies build from that foundation, said Greg Rommel, director of family and congregational life at Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel.
"Parenting is a ministry," said Pam Pratt, who leads a "Parenting by grace" study at First Baptist Church.
The study's premise is getting parents to understand their relationship to God, then transferring that to their children, she said. "It's nothing new, but it's timeless."
Other church leaders agree. Parenting classes for churches have been around since the early part of the century. They may be more timely now because of the societal changes in families.
In a time when kids are bludgeoning family members and shooting up classmates, parenting skills are essential tools for families, said the Rev. Art Hunt, pastor of Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Once a child is born and parents leave the hospital, "they don't come with an owner's manual attached to their right toe."
Hunt's congregation is offering a four-week course, "Raising Kids Who Turn Out Right," beginning April 19. The class will meet each Monday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at St. Francis Medical Center Conference rooms A and B.
Rommel, whose church is midway through the same study, said it has been a success.
Parents are seeing both sides of the spectrum, from things they've never thought of to heads nodding when they realize what they should be doing, he said.
"I can't say it's been life-changing but more of an affirmation of the positive things parents should be doing."
Raising children in a Christian environment is important in a time when society isn't always supportive of those values, said George Brewer, minister of education at Lynwood Baptist Church.
Next week, the church will begin its "Parenting By Grace" study. It will be held on Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m.
Brewer said: "We see families that need encouragement and sometimes practical application ideas. There may be some natural skills but it takes work."
While parenting classes don't seem like the standard fare for biblical studies, churches are recognizing the need among their congregations.
"We are all part of a family, the family of God," Hunt said. Churches offering the courses know that parents are trying not only to raise children but "raising them with spiritual values in a culture that says there are no absolute truths."
Mixing social issues with biblical principles shows how much Christianity applies to life today, Hunt said.
"People say we don't relate to the world," Hunt said. "These are real answers to real needs and real problems."
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