P.E.R.K. (Parents Empowered to Raise Kids)

Being a parent in today’s world is a challenging job. With the influence of our ever-changing society, sometimes raising our children seems almost impossible. P.E.R.K., Parents Empowered to Raise Kids, was developed by South Ridge Community Church and Crossroads Christian Academy to offer parenting resources to families in our community and the community at large.

P.E.R.K. aims to equip parents with skills, tools, and knowledge to foster their
family objectives, present tangible ways families can nurture their values and beliefs, and provide a forum for parents to share ideas and challenges.

Free Online Resources:

Media Reviews for Moms and Dads:

• www.dove.org
• www.pluggedinonline.org
• Christian Spotlight on Entertainment
• Parent Previews

E-zines on Family Issues:

• The Family Room
• Focus on the Family Magazine
• Families Under Construction - Parent's Toolbox
• Articles from Understanding Your Teenager

Answering our Kids' Questions:

• www.christiananswers.net

For Wives/Moms:

• MOMsense

For Husbands/Dads:

• Men of Integrity

For Kids:

• Pockets Devotional Magazine
• Kid's Explorers

The leaders involved in P.E.R.K. are continuing to build this page, and want to provide parents, kids, and teens with the best of what's online.  If there's a site or page that you've found helpful, would you email the web address to jmoore@southridgecc.org?  We'd love to take a look at it.   

Other Available Resources:

P.E.R.K. has purchased a number of recommended resources that are avaialble to borrow in our library, located just down the hall from the foyer. We've provided a list of recently added resources on our library page. 

P.E.R.K. Seminars

In past months, P.E.R.K. offered speakers presenting seminars such as:

• How Not to be Your Child's ATM
• Internet Safety
• Understanding Your Teenager
• Mentoring Your Teenager
• Stranger Danger

We are presently evaluating overall response to these programs, and evaluating whether we will continue this format.  If you have feedback or a suggested topic you would like to see addressed, please contact Dori Parker, Director of Children's Ministry, or Randy Hunt, Pastor of Familiy Ministries at dparker@southridgecc.org and rhunt@southridgecc.org. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was P.E.R.K. begun?
Parents were seeking help. They wanted to deal biblically with certain situations in their homes, but didn’t know how. Dori Parker (Director of Children’s Ministries) Gayle Picinich (Crossroads Christian Academy Principal), Peter Gatto (South Ridge Youth Pastor), Randy Hunt (South Ridge Pastor of Family Ministries), and Renee’ Fusco (Crossroads Christian Academy Parent Teacher Fellowship President) were all observing the same phenomenon: parents were seeking help from many of our ministry leaders.

What South Ridge ministries have joined forces to create P.E.R.K.?
Children’s ministries, Youth ministries, and Adult/Family ministries, and Crossroads Christian Academy.

What is the vision for the future?
We’re presenting life changing information, but need to continue to build interest and momentum for parents to come be a part of the events that we’re offering. We’d like to provide a regular calendar of what’s going on, so parents can anticipate and plan for topics.

We’re also looking to create new relationships with area churches and public school systems. Our heart is to provide topics that are relevant to people from a wide variety of backgrounds, building bridges to the community and opening new doors for God’s Spirit to work in lives. It is my heart that as we move ahead with P.E.R.K, we continue to leave a legacy of cooperation with other ministries and community organizations.

How can people get more involved in P.E.R.K.?
The number one way is to come to the events. Other ways include praying for us, getting the word out to family members and neighborhoods, and suggesting topics that you feel would be helpful to parents.