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46<br />
TEACHING OBJECTIVES<br />
• To understand the importance of family priority<br />
for successful leadership.<br />
• To identify and apply principles for developing<br />
strong family relationships.<br />
• A challenge to prioritize family in a leader’s life and to model healthy<br />
family life.<br />
FAMILY VALUES<br />
AS A PRIORITY<br />
WORKSHOP<br />
Reflect personally on the following questions. Then, discuss<br />
the matter with other conference participants and pray for<br />
each other’s family.<br />
• How would you evaluate yourself against the standards for<br />
leadership?<br />
• What are some areas where you see the need for<br />
personal growth?<br />
47<br />
INTRODUCTION: THE CHALLENGE OF FAMILY PRIORITY<br />
The family unit is the foundation for all cultures. It constitutes the root of every nation.<br />
However, this unique institution is not without challenges.<br />
Negative forces threaten to weaken and destroy family<br />
structures in every human society. In modern societies, the<br />
divorce rate is high and growing. Broken family relationships<br />
lead to troubled and struggling children.<br />
REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO THE FAMILY<br />
• Good caregiver and family manager<br />
The leader must care for his or her family properly and<br />
provide good leadership in the home<br />
• Loving and Gentle<br />
The leader must care for his or her family with love,<br />
respect and<br />
self-control,<br />
so that the home is<br />
peaceful<br />
WORKSHOP<br />
THE FAMILY IN OUR NATION<br />
Discuss with your colleagues (in a<br />
small group) the current situation<br />
of the family in our nation. Use the<br />
following questions as a guide:<br />
• How is today’s world affecting<br />
the family structure in our nation?<br />
• How does that affect our families<br />
as leaders?<br />
• REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO THE<br />
CHILDREN<br />
• Leadership in your home<br />
It is clear that the leader must train his<br />
or her children, fully committed to their<br />
development<br />
1. Strong Commitment<br />
• Strong families believe in the value of the family and<br />
consider their family a priority in their lives.<br />
2. Spending Time Together<br />
• Strong families take time to be together on a regular basis doing<br />
meaningful things.<br />
3. Good Communication<br />
• Strong families are able to communicate at all levels. Judith Balswick,<br />
in her book “Family: A Christian Perspective on the Contemporary<br />
Home”, affirms that in our family we usually communicate on one or<br />
more of four levels. The next page explains and gives examples of<br />
these levels of communication.<br />
4. Appreciation and Affection for Each Other<br />
• Strong families are intentional about expressing appreciation for<br />
each other. Spiritual commitment.<br />
5. Ability to Solve Problems and Crisis<br />
• Strong families have win-win strategies to solve crisis situations.<br />
• Obedient and Respectful Children<br />
Obedience is the acknowledgement of the<br />
parents’ authority in the home. This can’t be<br />
“enforced”, but is the result of sincere love<br />
and parental leadership by example.