BREAKOUT OPTIONS

MORNING

Todd Dugard: How old should your kids be before they date?

Todd and his wife Cheryl have three adult children, three more children by marriage and four grandchildren. Todd serves as the Lead Pastor for Harvest Bible Chapel in Barrie. In his session, Todd will equip parents with growing children in how they can help them think critically about romantic relationships and the questions parents should be asking their kids before they go on that first date.

Dwight Bernier: Intentional Parenting, creating a purposeful plan.

Dwight and his wife Jessica have four children and currently live in Montreal where he serves as the Pastor of Church 21 and the Network Director for Acts 29 Canada. In his session, Dwight will unpack the importance of intentionality in how we parent our children through the various stages of their lives and how to come up with a purposeful plan that will help in raising them as mature, well-adjusted (and likeable) followers of Jesus!

Janet Surette: Keeping the picture big when the kids are small

Author and speaker Janet Surette has been married to her husband Glen for over 25 years and have three daughters. She uses her gifts to bless and encourage believers in their pursuit of Christ through the various mediums she speaks into and is passionate about helping families show the world what redeemed parenting and family relationships can look like. In her session, Janet will reveal biblical principles that helped keep her sane and focused on what was important in the long term when her kids were little and the days seemed mundane.

AFTERNOON

Steph Nesbit: communicating with your kids

Steph Nesbit believes good conversations, the kind where you feel heard, valued, and understood, are essential for strong relationships. Steph is the Counselling Director at Harvest and a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) in private practice. She’s been married for about 25 years and has two adult sons and a teenaged daughter. She’ll give you 10 action steps and skills to develop for your next hard conversation with your kids, whether they are 5 or 50. Applying them can help you not only connect with your kids and know their world, but build emotional intimacy in the relationship.

Lyndsey Stevenato: COVID leftovers: How has COVID impacted our kids and how to take steps to reduce its impact

It seems that some COVID residue remains for kids and that it interferes with self regulation and anxiety and delays skills that were missed with being at home. Sleep patterns, screens and eating have all been affected. In this session, Lyndsey Stevenato will help parents to understand these issues and how to parent your children effectively through them.

Nathan Hooper: Helping your kids navigate social media

In recent years, social media has made a significant impact on our culture as a whole, and particularly, in the lives of our teens and pre-teens. As a result, it is essential that today’s parents have a clear understanding of how this will influence their child’s life. In this session, we will look at how parents can help their kids navigate this world, as we discuss the pros and cons of these platforms and give some practical ideas on how families can set healthy limits.

Nathan is married to Carol and they have four kids. He serves as the Congregational Care Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Barrie. Prior to that he spent many years working with youth in a pastoral role at Mississauga Baptist Church and in the educational system.