What is your place of worship doing to support and care for children and families?

Places of worship have tremendous potential for building assets and nurturing the development of our youth.  Some asset-building strengths congregations already offer youth:

• support - most congregations can provide a caring community in which young people are surrounded by networks of support.
• parent support - because families are often involved together in congregations, the faith community has a unique opportunity to influence, support, and equip parents in their central role of nurturing assets.
• intergenerational and peer relationships - congregations have a unique potential to be intergenerational communities in which youth connect with caring adults of all ages, build healthy relationships with peers, and develop attachments to younger children.
• service - all major faith traditions include an emphasis on service as an expression of faith.  Personal involvement in service at many times during childhood and adolescence is a key strategy for nurturing assets.
• values - shaping values is at the core of the congregation's mission.  By naming and nurturing positive values, congregations help to shape the life choices of the young people they touch.
• community advocacy - the faith community can provide pivotal leadership, making congregations key partners in community-wide asset-building efforts. 

Would you like McCAP to show you how to build developmental assets? Let McCAP help provide the leadership,  the knowledge, and  the resources  you need to strengthen your effectiveness and to contribute to your youth's growth in body, mind, and spirit.

Contact ballenger@mccap.org to schedule a presentation or workshop.