Workshops and Sessions

Session I: Supporting Kids in a Post Covid World (Dr. Sunny Toews)

This session will give us an understanding of how children have reacted behaviorally, emotionally, and mentally to the pandemic in addition to practical ways to support them during these difficult times.

Dr. Toews is the Pastor of Community Care at Grace Chapel. She directly oversees their care ministries. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Harvard University. (stoews@grace.org)

Session II: Raising Great Kids (Dr. Patricia Batten)

What does it mean to be great in the eyes of God? Learn from one mother in Scripture as she seeks greatness for her children

Note - Attendees can attend any 2 workshops as space allows

Download a PDF of the schedule and workshop sessions here

Children and Screen Media: Parenting Mindset, Tips, and Resources (Melissa Yang/Jessica Tsai)

How do parents help their children navigate a deluge of devices in a screen-saturated world? Join us for a reflective and interactive session to explore the appropriate parenting mindset for your unique child and share parenting tips and resources.

Melissa Yang is a member of the Cross Bridge ministry of CBCGB and a Communication professor at Endicott College. She has spoken to parents and community groups about media and digital literacy. She is also a mother of two school-age children. melissayang.endicott@gmail.com

Jessica Tsai is a middle school Humanities teacher and Curriculum & Instruction Leader at Josiah Quincy Upper school, a Boston Public School. She is a long-time member of CBCGB, and currently resides in Somerville with her husband and 3 children. jessica.tsai@gmail.com

Why Won't They Just Sit Still? Working with Kinesthetic Learners (Patricia Lake)

Learn how to engage the child who needs to learn through movement. Incorporate simple games, rhymes, rhythms, music and movement to bring your classroom alive and fully engage those kids who just have to be moving!

Patti Lake is the Children's Ministry Director at Grace Chapel Lexington. A former Early Childhood Music Specialist, Patti is an effective communicator, teacher and strategic visionary combining creativity with program and process management.

Teaching Kids to Pray (Melva Davidson)

Teaching children to pray is a vital part of introducing them to Jesus and reinforcing their relationship with God. Come and find some great tools to help you to get kids dialed into prayer.

Parenting without Fear (Patricia Batten)

Fear abounds when it comes to raising our children. How do we turn fear into faith and follow Jesus even when the outcome seems uncertain?

Families and Devotions (Sandy Coelho)

Gathering your family together for family devotions can be a great way to help disciple your children. Come and get some great practical strategies for having spiritual conversations that will encourage your kids to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus.

Living Out a Biblical Worldview in Today’s Culture (Theresa Nelson)

How do we live in a way that is in the world, but not of the world? In this session, we will consider opportunities for partnership with our schools and communities even as we protect our children from our “too much, too soon” culture.

Theresa Nelson is a speaker and author with Mom to Mom Ministries. She is passionate about encouraging moms and enjoys teaching about family and marriage at churches and parenting groups. Theresa and her husband have two teen-aged daughters. theresa@momtomom.org

Re-engaging Families with Disabilities (Liz and Doug Babbitt, Joni and Friends New England)

People and families living with disability are slowly returning to the church. Are YOU ready? Our hope is to equip New England Churches to become known as places where every person and families living with disability find hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. This workshop will focus on God’s heart for everyone to have full access to His banquet table, why people with disability are one of the largest unreached people groups in the world, the impact of the pandemic on families with disabilities and some suggestions for evaluating barriers to families’ re-engagement. There will be time for Q & A.

Liz and Doug Babbitt attend New Life Community Church in Georgetown, MA where people and families with disabilities are enthusiastically embraced as indispensable members of the body of Christ. Liz is the Ministry Relations Manager for Joni and Friends New England, and Doug is employed as a Speech-Language Pathologist with 30 years’ experience with children and adults on the autism spectrum. The Babbitts have five adorable grandchildren; the youngest is diagnosed on the autism spectrum. lbabbitt@joniandfriends.org

Supporting Kids (and their families!) with Autism (Liz and Doug Babbitt, Joni and Friends New England)

With 1 in 44 children now diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), your church already includes families affected by ASD. If you are a ministry leader, Christian education teacher or volunteer, you will receive specific ways to identify, interact with, and teach those with ASD. We will also include the link to sensory challenges. Practical ideas and Joni and Friends resources will be shared. You will leave with some great tools and resources to effectively minister to families of kids with autism.

Supporting Kids in a Post Covid World (Dr. Sunny Toews)

Continue the discussion of supporting our kids in a post Covid world. Dr. Toews will dig deeper and answer your questions on this topic.