The seminar, to be held on Concordia’s campus, is intended for pastors to bring a group of family champions from their congregation in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, who want to be trained to lead a 40-day campaign to encourage family faith training.

Registered groups will receive a Family Champion Training™ kit and will learn how to facilitate a six-week campaign that helps families become intentional about their faith by starting a family spiritual development plan. The campaign is designed to strengthen families by touching on the fundamentals of faith-shaping at home.

Professor Benjamin Freudenburg at Concordia University Ann Arbor was influential in Focus in the Family’s interest in hosting a campaign in Michigan. Freudenburg’s work in family life studies has shaped the most recent trends in the field. His book, “The Family Friendly Church,” discusses his paradigm shift model, which details the change families must recognize before parents can become faith-shapers at home.

The goal of the Family Champion Training™ directly aligns with Concordia’s mission. Freudenburg stated, “Concordia strives to serve the church at large. Concordia is providing this seminar as a service to the church and community. Through preaching and training events, parents will learn how to become faith-shapers inside the home.” The Family Life students at Concordia will gain valuable experience as they organize the Focus on the Family event. Freudenburg continued, “The students will be instrumental as we prepare for this event. Our students will help with registering groups, hosting the event, parking logistics, and all the details that aid in the success of an event like this. It’s a great opportunity for them to get involved in national events early in their careers and learn what it takes to put on family life programs.”

For more information about this event or about the Family Life program at Concordia, please contact Professor Freudenburg at freudb@cuaa.edu. The costs have yet to be determined.

Concordia University Ann Arbor is a private, Christian liberal arts institution of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Concordia offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in an environment focused on the individual student. Concordia is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) and by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Concordia’s Family Life Program is approved by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). The athletics program has helped Concordia receive the recognition of a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character institution. Concordia is located at 4090 Geddes Road in Ann Arbor, MI. For more information, visit: www.cuaa.edu.