Purpose of Tree
Climbers:
Dads and sons
together.
This weekly adventure offers Dads the opportunity to spend productive, profitable time with their sons.
What will Tree Climbers do for a
local church? It will:
- Encourage fathers to become involved.
- Provide Christian role models to primary-age boys at a
critical stage of their development.
- Offer an evangelical outreach to boys and their fathers in
the community.
- Prepare boys and men for future involvement in Stockade.
As Christian fathers, Tree Climber dads are working toward:
- Guide their
kids to the Lord
- Guide their kids to the Word of God
- Guide their kids to Christian maturity
- Guide their kids to the local church
Dads are important!
Almost all Christian dads feel
the need to spend more time with their children, and sometimes with demands of
life, finding the time is
difficult. Tree Climbers is a great way to combine quality time for a
father and his son with involvement in a program for boys who need
the example and care of Christian men. John Eldredge writes in his book,
Wild At Heart, "The plan from the beginning of time was that
his
father would lay the foundation for a young boys heart, and pass on to him that
essential knowledge and confidence in his strength.
Dad
would be the first man in his life, and forever the most important man."
Boys whose fathers cannot attend are always welcome, and
adult
males (uncles, grandpas, family friend) can attend meetings in their place.
We strongly encourage all dads to attend often, even if
it's once
a month - and also to get involved during the weekly meetings. Each weekly
meeting needs quite a bit of pre-planning to be
effective - so
don't be too shy ask the Tree Climbers Coordinator what can be done to help!
Boys is grades 1 and 2
experience the world in a fresh way. They're exploring and learning and
growing. The typical Tree Climbers
weekly meeting helps them do that with their dad. Our goal in Tree
Climbers is not just to provide activities - it is to build relationships
between dads and their children so they can introduce them to Jesus Christ.
- Woody's
Welcome
- Woody's Games
- Fun to Do
- Woody's Check-Up
- Woody's Stretch
- Tree Climbers Circle
Woody's Welcome
Open the meeting. It sets the tone for the evening by bringing the group together. Carpet ball, or a quiet activity, or a puzzle.
Woody's Games
For many of the boys, this is
the highlight of the evening. Boys love action, lots of running - and what
would a game be without lots of
yelling? It is a good time for dads to just play with their kids.
Fun to Do
The whole Tree Climbers group
does fun projects. These projects tie into the theme of the evening and
help young boys understand more
about God's Word and his world. Making fishing poles, writing and
performing puppet shows, rain gutter boat races - and so much more!
Woody's Check-Up
This is the most important aspect of the evening. Dads get alone with their sons and talk about the Bible verse for the evening.
Woody's Stretch
This is another game time,
usually in the Tree Climber room rather than the gym. The aim is to slow
the pace of the evening down a
notch (or two or three!) and helps lead the boys into the story time.
Tree Climbers Circle
Boys love stories. This time offers fun stories and ties the entire meeting together.
