Texas church seeks to knock out bullying
A Texas congregation is doing its part to try to knock out bullying.
Here’s the news release from the Aledo Church of Christ:
What will your son or daughter do when encountering a bully? Bullying is an issue that has permeated our culture and schools in recent years. It has been exacerbated with texting, e-mail, and social networking websites such as Facebook. Do you feel prepared to equip your children to effectively deal with bullies they encounter? One local church, Aledo Church of Christ, is seeking to knock out bullying by providing parents with strategies for preparing their children and teens to handle bullying situations. They are hosting a “Bullying Seminar” 11 AM – 1 PM on September 10th.
“The escalation of bullying in schools and networking sites has been widely discussed in the last couple of years,” said Kimberly Buch, a member of the Aledo Church of Christ and seminar organizer. “Yet, it seems many parents still feel ill-equipped for helping their kids know what to do if confronted with a bully or a context in which a bully is harassing another person” she added. Ms Buch continued, “We wanted to offer this seminar as a service to the community and for those parents who are looking for effective tools in addressing this problem.”
To achieve this goal, the church has partnered with the Parenting Center of Fort Worth. “The Parenting Center has been helping parents and families since 1975 through classes and education programs,” Ms. Buch said. She explained, “They have professional counselors and educators who work with area school districts and agencies to address issues facing families. They have the expertise which could serve our community.”
Church Elder, James Norman noted, “Kimberly approached us with this idea as a way to serve our community. We decided it was a good thing to do.” Mr. Norman, who has grandchildren in area schools, suggested “This is an issue which our children and grandchildren seem to be dealing with on a more destructive level than I can remember seeing when I was in school. We wanted to do something as a church family to help our community family overcome this growing problem.”
The Bullying Seminar will be held from 11 AM – 1 PM on Saturday, September 10th at the church located at 201 FM 1187 S. in Aledo. The seminar is open to the community; it is designed primarily for adults, however teenagers are also welcome. Registration is free, but required due to limited space; a light lunch will be provided. For more information or to register go to the church’s website, www.aledochurchofchrist.com and click on the seminar link.
Read my January 2011 Inside story column on bullying.
