How It Works

We’ve all heard the saying, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The family experience program is designed to teach you “how to fish,” we won’t just give a lot of information that you’ll forget once you’re out the door. When you leave, you’ll understand not only how healthy families thrive, you will have done it yourself.

It’s hands on.  It’s experiential.    

Foundation 1 – Accept Reality

This is the foundation for thriving families. We look at a vision for a healthy family unit that shows love and respect, practices service, and empowers children to “launch” into the world as healthy and capable adults.

Foundation 2 – Seek to Understand

In families a lot of our conflict comes simply because we are different.  Each person in the family is created with unique personalities and gifts.  Through the use of the Ministry Insights DISC personality profile, you’ll be able to better understand each member of your family and how they are designed to thrive within your family unit.

Foundation 3 – Parenting With A Purpose (Parents)

This section looks at the basics of effective parenting.  You’ll learn some powerful skills that will help you empower your children to be respectful, responsible, and risk managing adults.

Foundation 3 – Living With A Purpose (Youth)

While parents talk about what shapes their parenting, the kids go on a hike and spend time looking at life goals and how to plan for their future.

Foundation 4 – Communication

Communicating well is hard work.  This section teaches you how to be a good listener and how to communicate with love and respect so that you will grow closer instead of being driven apart.  In this conflict resolution section of our program, we get heavy into learning and practicing new life skills that will help break the cycles that have been pulling you apart.  You’ll learn to navigate conflict in a way that is a “win-win” for every member of the family.

Foundation 5 – Step Into Conflict

Conflict is never fun but is a reality when family is made up of different people all living in a complicated world.  This section helps the family learn to step into conflict in a helpful way rather than avoid or escalate conflict.

Foundation 6 – Committed to Things That Pull Us Together

Most people who want to climb a mountain have a vision of the mountaintop, a view or hope for accomplishment that makes it worth the effort.  The Values and Family Covenant section of The Family Experience program is designed to help your family define your vision of what you can be.  This session is mostly done during a hike to fully experience the power of shared values.

Foundation 7- Strong Family Systems

Every family learns to adapt to the challenges of life, but not every family learns how to thrive in the midst of life’s challenges.  You’ll learn to create a family system that sets healthy boundaries between parents and children and empowers each person to get their needs met in healthy ways.

Foundation 8 – Always Learning for Parents

Our kids are always learning.  Some of what they are learning will help them in life and some of it will lead them down negative experiences.  This foundation focuses on tools parents can use to help their kids learn and focuses on developing wise kids.

Foundation 8 – Always Learning for Teens

This session helps kids understand the power of trust.  Teens are developing identity and opinions and it can be hard to exert that independence.  This session gives teens tools for negotiating without manipulation and helping their parents understand their point of view.

Foundation 9 – Step Into Reality

The previous modules in our program teach a lot of life skills and give a lot of valuable information that will help your family thrive.  This session gives you the tools to take home and apply what you’ve learned.  This session acknowledges that we will make mistakes and that change is hard and so we need to prepare for setbacks and use tools to restore relationships that are broken.