Find it here.

On April 1st the PMA in the North American Region was officially launched! Preceding the launch, “kick-off” fellowships were held in 4 different locations where students reside (Houston, San Antonio, Ensenada and Puerto Rico). For the next 4 months, 15 students from our Region (with the help of 6 mentors) will be participating in at-home study classes, and assignments based on that input, to help them to professionalize their lives as missionaries. This year there are 2 courses available: “Building a Flock” and “Cultivating Supporters”, with more courses to be added in the future. If participating in the PMA sparks your interest, be sure to check back here on the BOB for announcements about next year’s semester. To the Homes that have students and mentors: Thank you for your support!
If you have any questions about the PMA (or even if you’re wondering what “PMA” stands for) click here, or write the CGO Board at: pma.na.cgo@famboard.com

So far 37 parents and teachers have signed up and been approved to attend a home educators conference for FREE this year! Way to go! We’re so happy you will be attending. Have fun!

After attending, please send us your essay along with the receipt for the cost of your entrance fee and information on how you would like us to send you a reimbursement for the entrance fee.

For anyone eligible who hasn’t signed up yet; we still have some funds left for a few more sponsorships.

Sign up today!

Parents and teachers (Family Members) who would like to attend a home school conference for free this year can download this application form and send in their application for sponsorship of the attendance fee!

Application Form

Click on this link to download a list of Home Educator Conferences near you!

links-to-homeschool-conventions

Email your application to na.fed@famboard.com

Dear Families and Teachers,

At the Educators Seminar of 2008, parents and teachers from across the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Central America delved into 5 days of extensive teacher-training. The results were envisioned and updated (and hopefully also relaxed and well-rested) teachers and parents who returned empowered and ready to take their ministry and calling of educating to a whole new level.

As a region we are committed to ongoing progress in the fields of education and education opportunities for our children and young people. We are taking the next step in 2009!  

We are thrilled to share with you an exciting announcement of God’s supply and an opportunity you don’t want to miss!

Home schooling is one of the preferred choices of education for many Family missionaries.  Therefore your North America Regional Council has decided to sponsor the entrance fee for parents and teachers to attend a major Home-school convention/conference in 2009.

These conventions are excellent sources of information, classes, training, networking, resources, guidance and education for home-educators. Most of the speakers at these conventions are authors and/or leaders in the home school world. Many parents and teachers who have attended in the past years have commented that the conferences were an unforgettable experience — opening up their vision, their access to resources and ideas and curriculums, and went long way in boosting their productivity, knowledge, and vision in educating. We hope to make attending a home education convention this year an opportunity available to every Family parent and teacher in this region.  

Home school conventions/events — such as the CHEA (http://www.chea.org/) — are present in many cities and on different dates throughout the year. We will be posting a calendar with a list of some these kinds of events which we know are available. You may want to use this as a guide to choose from, and you are also welcome to research and see if there are other conventions available in your area. 

Sponsorship is for the entrance fee of parents and teachers of North America Family missionary Homes. (FD/MM/FM) 

Parents and teachers who would like to attend a home school conference this year can download this application form and send in their application for free attendance!

Following are the stipulations for this sponsorship:

1. Sponsorship is for:

*Full-time Teachers (including singles without kids who are fulltime teachers)

*One parent per family

(Some conferences only charge a fee for one person per couple (if one parent pays, then their spouse can get in free) or offer a discount for attendance of a spouse or second member of the same household. So folks can check for these deals).

2. Apply right away if you want to attend. We will send out a simple application form. We are working with a pre-set budget, so we will sponsor entrance fees on a first-come-first-serve basis.

3. In order to help you document the event, we will require a short report of the experience from each person who was sponsored. The report should be of their time there, the classes attended, and their reaction to the conference. (Between 500-1000 words is fine, though more is also welcome.)

4. And, we will require a photograph (of the attendee at the conference) from each person who was sponsored. 

5. Sponsorship is for the entire cost of the entrance fee. All other costs such as food, travel, or lodging will be the responsibility of the attendee.

6. You will be reimbursed for the entrance fee after we receive a receipt from your attendance showing the cost of attendance, the name and location of the conference you attended, as well as the required short report and photograph.

Download this application form now and apply today!

Again, we are working within a pre-determined budget for sponsorship which may limit the amount of entrance fees we can afford to pay, so sponsorship is on a first-come first-serve basis.

We hope to hear from you right away!

Email your application to na.fed@famboard.com  

“Educators Seminar” Reviews

“It has been so neat to be able to partake of the wealth of so many other Family educators, their experiences, questions, ideas, out-of-the-box innovative initiatives to try new things.”—Faithy, Toronto

“This professional education seminar will accomplish the purpose for which it was intended. The time, attention, organization, research, and prayer invested is very evident, and I feel that we will all go away from here very proud to be teachers—professional teachers—who play a vital role in our Family’s present and future.”—Linda, Mexico

As seen on History In the Making

Find it here.

Launch Date: Valentines Day, February 14th

Just click here to read all about it! – Don’t miss signing up!

Amy & Crystal, for your CS Board

We have written all FD and MM Homes with the info on how to apply for the PMA. If you have not received the info in your Home’s e-mail box, please write us at: pma.na.cgo@famboard.com We will gladly send it to you.

The student application and other info regarding PMA 2009 can be found on the MO Site here:

http://www.familymembers.com/cgo/pma/

The deadline for sending in student applications is February 20th, so please don’t delay! Write us today! We love you!

Love, your NA CGO Board

Click here to view a New Year’s card from your Regional Council!

Games, PnP’s, certificates, bookmarks and more! — All found right here.

Find them here!

Read the testimonies and see the photos here!

“This (PMA) course has changed my witnessing life completely.”

“If you want to build a flock and you never have before, you don’t know how, you feel nervous, left behind from the other brethren who are and all the word coming out about needing to; the PMA is for you!”

“My life change(d) completely from being a witnesser, to being a professional Christian psychologist and spiritual counselor, and seeing how easy it is to transition into follow up when approaching people in that role.”

“I am thankful that I have learned all that I have, because now I feel more confident in teaching my daughters how they too as little missionaries can make a difference through their lives and interactions with others.”

“I believe that this PMA course has somehow ‘lit my fuse’ to be an instant witness and let my light shine before others, that they may come to know HIM in a personal way.”

Those are only a few of the reactions from the 30-plus students who completed the PMA in North America this past year. If this sparks your interest, then read on! YOU can also have your chance to be a part of the PMA in 2009. The semester will begin approximately April 2nd 2009 and end July 31st, with the Graduation Event taking place at the end of August.

Since tuition is required for the PMA, we wanted to let you know about it in case you want to start sending funds aside for it now. More information will be given regarding the PMA in January. We’re praying that you all have a power-packed, and witness-filled Christmas season!

With much love,
Your NA CGO Board

P.S. Stay tuned for the “North America PMA Video”, coming at ya’ll shortly!

Here are the links to the two new children’s Christmas tracts available on the Mo Site!

The Gift that Never Wears Out:

What Would You Like for Christmas?

Also if you haven’t already seen them Snack Packs 9-12 are incredible & they’re all about Christmas; Christmas witnessing prayers, stories, activities etc. Enjoy!

Hi everyone!

WOW, only 5 weeks till Christmas! We know that you & your home are undoubtedly already making preparations for your Christmas witnessing push or are already well on your way. How exciting to have another chance to share His love with others at this special time of year.

Last year you’ll remember that the kids in our region participated in a Christmas soul winning contest which was very successful! Over 1500 souls were won to Jesus — by our kids! It’s thrilling to see our children bring the true gift of Christmas to others and bear fruit that will last forever, isn’t it?
We (your CP Board) prayed about what to focus on this Christmas and the Lord gave some ideas which we wanted to share with you. We do pray they are a blessing and help to you as you work with your children this year and help them to have a Christmas they’ll never forget.

1. Activity Log!
We created a special Christmas Activity Log (download at the bottom of this post) that you can use with each child in your home to help keep track of all the different ways that they participate in your home’s witnessing this Christmas. Events you can include on their Christmas Log are:
Helping with your home’s mail ministry
Making Christmas cards or goodies for your friends or contacts
Performances
Puppet Shows
Skits or Plays
Personal witnessing & follow up visits
Christmas Caroling
Other Christmas Activities that you do such as visiting your neighbors, Old Folk’s Homes, CTP’s, etc.
Each time the children participate in witnessing in one of these ways they receive a “Christmas Star” on their chart. Whether they participated alone or with a group they would receive a star.

This log begins on December 1st and ends on Christmas Eve, December 24th.

2. Appreciation Celebration!
After December 24th, we would like to encourage each home to host an appreciation celebration from Jesus for the kids. We’ll be sending out an “Christmas Appreciation Celebration Party Pack” with ideas to help make the planning of this party easier for you. There will be a certificate to give to each child recognizing their Christmas witnessing which you can fill in with their stats. There will also be a special message from Jesus to read to the kids and some games and activities planned. The idea is that the whole home will be acknowledging the kids’ efforts and appreciating them for a job well done. If there are several homes in a city you might want to organize this celebration all together to combine efforts and make it even more fun for the kids.

You’ll want to plan your Appreciation Celebrations as close to Christmas as you can, making it part of your Christmas fun. For those who might have trips planned at that time, we would suggest that you try to have this party by January 15th at the latest.

3. Junior BOB Reporters!
We would like to invite kids to sign up as reporters for the BOB (bobreport.org, our NACRO blog). Reporters can send in witnessing testimonies, along with pictures, as they happen and we will post them on the BOB as they come in. We know the kids will be excited to see their testimony in lights, the reporter and photographer, performers, etc., all given credit. We’ll even post audio and video reports if they are concise and clear. Help the kids make Christmas exciting by helping them get their reports in and watch the fun happen!
You can also post other Christmas ideas that you’ve come up with or that your home or family are doing this Christmas.

We look forward to hearing from you and our children as we share the Joy of Christmas with a very lost and desperate world this year. Merry Christmas and we’ll see you soon!

Lots of Love,
Your CP Board

Download Christmas chart here
cmas-cp-2008

TO ALL NA HOMES FROM NA REGIONAL JT BOARD

Dear NA Family,

In the summer of 2009 the NA Regional JT Board will be hosting the FDTP (Family Discipleship Training Program) once again. Lord willing, the FDTP will be a yearly program for all 17 year olds in the region. Last year our region held the FDTP in Mexico, together with the Mexico/Central America region, with 56 teens attending. This year we will hold the FDTP in the US or Canada with only 17 year olds from the NA Region. We estimate that there are approximately 25 potential FDTP candidates in our region.

Although the event is nearly 10 months away, we thought you’d want to know that it’s in the planning stages. The NA JT Regional Board will be communicating with all potential candidates (those who will be 17 years old at the time of the event) some time at the beginning of next year. As you can imagine there is quite a bit of planning that will need to go into this 25-day event. It will take a lot of prayer, planning and preparation. Your pro-active prayers would be greatly appreciated and definitely needed.

One of the first prayer requests would be for the Lord to supply the location of the event. At this point it could be held almost anywhere in the US or Canada, but the facilities would need to be appropriate for the number of attendees and that length of time. Later, we’ll send out more specific details regarding what kind of facilities are needed. If you know of any possibilities please let us know.

Also we could use your pro-active prayers for the preparation of the class material that will be used for the FDTP. This will also include material for the teens to read and study before they attend and the follow up material for each one after the event.

As the FDTP begins to take shape we’ll send you specific prayer requests.

Here are a few basic details about the program for those who are or will be 17 in the summer of 2009.

1. Hopefully attending the FDTP can count towards their High School credits. Last year there were more than 100 hours of classes and workshops at the FDTP.

2. There will be preparatory material for each FDTP candidate to read several months before attending the actually event in the summer.

3. The cost of last year’s FDTP was $400/person, and though the cost isn’t set yet for the summer 2009 event, we’d suggest that those interested in attending start setting aside funds to attend and/or find sponsors to help.

4. The event will last approximately 25 days.

Here are the FDTP Goals as listed in FSM 423.

- To prepare our 17-year-olds for the responsibilities of adult Family discipleship; to train and raise professional disciples.

- To show them how Family discipleship life should be lived; to give them a clear understanding of what it means for them to be FD, so that they will be prepared to make the decision to sign the FD contract when they turn 18.

- To challenge them to have a deep relationship with Jesus, as well as in their connection and interaction with the spirit world.

- To help them partake of and contribute to the Family’s future.

- To teach them to go to the Word and absorb and apply it to their lives.

- To give focused, personal shepherding to the attendees and offer help in their weak areas.

- For those on the JT board to develop a closer link with the young people and get to know them better.

- To provide a place for them to have a time that they can look back on and know they made a conscious decision to serve the Lord in the Family (if they haven’t already).

- To provide training they can take back home with them so that they can become a strength to their Home and the overall work.

- To give them quality vocational training in key ministries on a Home level.

- To challenge and motivate them to be the best they can be; to remind them that their Home will be what they as individuals help to make it.

- To learn the importance of personal and collective accountability at the Home level.

- To train them in how to choose their ministries and grow in them.

WORDSTOCK was a tremendously exciting musical and leadership event held here for 4 years (2004 - 2007) and was attended by nearly 80% of the teens in the region. It strengthened our region in many ways. It fulfilled a need for our teens, both with fellowship and with personal challenges and commitments. As most of you know WORDSTOCK required a great deal of time and energy to organize. It also pulled heavily on the resources of nearly every Family Home in the region, not to mention those that attended from outside of the NA Region.

WORDSTOCK was not held in 2008, at the launch of the Offensive, to avoid pulling resources from the Homes as they prepared their Offensive Strategy Plans. In 2009 the NA JT Regional Board will be investing it’s time and focus in preparing the FDTP which, though attended by a fewer number of teens and lasting for nearly a month, will require a great deal more planning of classes and material. Therefore, WORDSTOCK will not be held in 2009.

During the Christmas witnessing season, although some prep work for the FDTP will be happening, we won’t be communicating directly with potential FDTP candidates or parents. That communication will start at the beginning of next year, so our answers to any questions might be limited. However, if you would like to write us, please feel free to do so and we’ll do our best to answer you.

Much love and a lot of prayers for a fruitful Christmas witnessing season,

Ado
NA JT RBC - (na.jt@famboard.com)

With updates on:

Announcing BOBlight
Evaluating your Home’s Strategy Plan
List of Brainstorm Ideas

Don’t miss it. Find it here.

Married on September 22. Click here to see photos.