The Network Concept
Family Friendly Partner’s Network (FFPN) is the creation of Professor Ben Freudenburg, chair of the Family Life Ministry Department at Concordia University, Ann Arbor. He has invited Districts of the LCMS to form a network, usually involving 6-10 congregations. The training then takes place over a three-year span as the churches learn how to be more intentional in working with families. The collective goal is to move the congregations toward a more Family Friendly Church, one in which the head of the household takes a more intentional effort to be the primary source of faith formation for the members of his/her family.
The sequence of training is as follows.
Event 1: The Paradigm Shift
Learning the family friendly attitude
June 12-13, 2015 @ Ascension, Fort Wayne
Event 2: Assessment – Learning how the assessment works
Defining family ministry and assessing family strengths andcongregational family demographics
October 2-3, 2015 @ Holy Cross, Fort Wayne
Event 3: Assessment – Interpreting the Results
Defining family ministry and assessing family
February 5-6, 2016 @ St. Michael, Fort Wayne
Event 4: Training Parents in Faith Formation
Training on the Family Friendly Tweak and four arenas of faith formation
April 22-23, 2016 @ Peace, Fort Wayne
Event 5: Marriage Ministry
Exploring the state of marriage, pre-marriage and marriage ministry
September 30-October 1, 2016 @ Suburban Bethlehem, Fort Wayne
Event 6: Parent Education
Focusing on parent education through the life span
February 24-25, 2017 @ St. John Bingen, Decatur
Event 7: Human Sexuality
Developing programming for human sexuality and the family
April 28-29, 2017 @ Suburban Bethlehem, Fort Wayne
Event 8: Non Nuclear Families
Discovering stepfamily, divorce and remarriage ministry
September 22-23, 2017 @ Zion Friedheim, Decatur
Event 9: Adulthood & Aging / Closing Celebration
Recognizing and serving aging members and their caregivers
February 2-3, 2018 @ Our Hope Huntertown
For a directory of the current FFPN congregations, click here.
FFPN Contacts:
Ben Freudenburg, Founder and Director
ben.freudenburg@cuaa.edu
Cori Scholtens, Business Manager and Webmaster
corischoltens@hotmail.com
Brian Horning, District Coordinator
brianhorning@stjohnbingen.com / 260-301-1496
Nancy Losher, District Administrative Assistant
nancy.losher@in.lcms.org / 260-423-1511, ext. 208
FFPN website: http://www.familyfriendlypn.com
Congregations who have completed the three-year cycle of Family Friendly Partners Network workshops:
Ten congregations from the Indiana District joined together to form a Family Friendly Partners Network (FFPN-IN) in 2011 finishing in 2014. The ten congregations were:
- Calvary, Indianapolis
- Faith, Bloomington
- Grace, Columbus
- Grace, Lafayette
- Messiah, Indianapolis
- Our Savior, Louisville
- St. Peter, North Judson
- Trinity, Crown Point
- Zion, New Palestine
- Zion, Seymour
Nine congregations from the Indiana District joined together to form a Family Friendly Partners Network (FFPN-FW) in 2014. They will conclude their training in 2016. The nine congregations are:
- Ascension, Fort Wayne
- Emmanuel, Fort Wayne
- Holy Cross, Fort Wayne
- Our Hope, Huntertown
- Peace, Fort Wayne
- St. John – Bingen, Decatur
- St. Michael, Fort Wayne
- Suburban Bethlehem, Fort Wayne
- Zion – Friedheim, Decatur