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What Groups Are Available?
Online Groups for Parents:
What if you could jump online for an hour for topic-specific teaching from a nextTalk leader, ask parenting questions, and talk through what works and doesn’t with other parents? That’s exactly what an online group looks like! This is one of nextTalk’s best resources for ongoing LIVE parenting support throughout the school year.
Every Fall and Spring we offer a variety of free online groups. In each group a nextTalk leader will walk you through a specific topic, then open the floor for questions. Nothing is off-limits. It’s amazing to see the bonds that quickly form as parents take what they are learning, implement it that night, and come back to share the results with their group!
And most of all, these groups provide weekly encouragement and a reminder that YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Fall 2023 Options: Read each description and register through the form link button below. SCROLL DOWN FOR FAQ!
Keeping Kids Safe in A Digital World: Book Study with Author Mandy Majors
Wednesdays, Oct 11- Nov 15: 11am-12pm CST
Mandy takes you through her award-winning books and cover topics like social media, pornography, dating, sexuality, transgender, sleepovers, suicide, etc.
Books:
Keeping Kids Safe in a Digital World
TALK: A Practical Approach to Cyberparenting & Open Communication
Oct. 11: Keeping Kids Safe in a Digital World: Problem, Solution & 10 Practical Ideas
Entire Book! (it’s short!)
Oct. 18: TALK: A Practical Approach to Cyberparenting & Open Communication
Chapters 8-10 Facing our Fears / Phones, Contracts & Social Media (Pages 99-134)
Oct. 25: Chapter 11-13 Pornography / Suicide & Addictions (Pages 135-166)
Nov. 1: Chapter 15-16 Attitude & Body Changes / Dress Codes & Dating (Pages 177-197)
Nov. 8: Chapter 17-19 Sex, Sexuality & Transgender (Pages 199-237)
Nov. 15: Chapter 20-21 Sleepovers, Friendships & General Q&A (Pages 239-265)
Love Rises: Book Study with Author Kim Nichols (Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, this group is for women only)
Wednesdays, Oct 11 – Nov 16: 12:30 – 1:30pm CST
Have you experienced childhood trauma or defining moments in your past that you feel might be impacting you as a parent? This book study is for anyone who has ever felt fear creep into their parenting and wants to overcome the urge to hover and learn about becoming a love-focused parent. We will use these short chapters and discussion questions to form a safe place to talk about fear and parenting all ages and stages.
Book: Love Rises The Journey from Fear to Love-Focused Parenting
Oct 11: Intro, Chapters 1-2 (Fears, Trauma)
Oct 19: Chapters 3-5 (Safe Spaces, Secrets, Invisible Wounds)
Oct 26: Chapters 6-9 (Conquering Fear, God’s Plan, Building Trust, Healthy Boundaries)
Nov 2: Chapter 10-13 (Urge to Hover, Change, Not About Me)
Nov 9: Chapter 14-16 (The Talk, Not All on You, Volume/Tone)
Nov 16: Chapter 17 (Conclusion: Letting Go, Moving On, Reflections)
High School & Beyond: Mini-Podcast and Discussion Group with Holly Bristol and Kim Nichols
Tuesdays Oct 10 – Nov 14: 2-3pm CST
If you have a high schooler or beyond, this group will offer a time and place to talk, share, ask, laugh, commiserate, and support one another during one of the most interesting seasons of parenting.
No book needed. Links to topical mini-podcasts will be provided (completely optional) prior to meeting time. The group will discuss specified topic and have open Q&A and sharing.
Oct 10: Boundaries
Oct 17: Expectations
Oct 24: Drugs/Alcohol
Oct 31: Dating/Relationships
Nov 7: Sex
Nov 14: Wrap up/Specific Q&A
Online Group FAQ:
Q: Will my online group be awkward?
A: Just like anything new, there will be a few moments of awkward “get to know you” questions and conversation, but very quickly we find that every group connects on our shared core value of a desire to help our kids.
Q: How many people are usually in a group?
A: Every group is different, but our preference is for groups not to be too big! We never want to turn away parents looking for support and guidance.
Q: What’s the structure of an online group?
A: You will be provided with a list of dates and specific topics. Each group session will start with prayer, a time of teaching/sharing by the nextTalk leader on the specified topic, then open discussion and Q&A.
Q: Is there homework?
A: There is no written homework! In all honesty, our hope is that you walk away from each group session with a desire to talk with your kid. Create conversation. Try just one suggestion and see what results you get! One of our favorite things about online groups are the “Oh my gosh I tried this last night with my kid and it worked” stories!
Q: Where do we meet?
A: All groups are virtual. Once registered, each week you’ll receive a meeting reminder along with instructions on how to join the group through a provided link.
Q: How much does it cost to join an online group?
A: All online groups are free! nextTalk is a registered nonprofit. Donations made to our organization fund resources like these, so we can provide them for free. Registration is first come first serve until the group reaches capacity. (Pro tip! Register early to reserve your spot!)
Q: Do I have to be on-screen or talk/contribute?
A: We have participants that keep their cameras off the entire time and never say a word. They listen while doing laundry or running errands. We also have participants that are on camera and contribute to the discussion every session. This is 100% your choice!
Q: If I ask a personal question will that be shared on a podcast or talked about outside of our group?
A: One of the first things we establish in every group is a covenant. Confidentiality, trust, and a safe place are of the upmost importance to nextTalk. We ask everyone to commit to never repeating what’s shared within a group unless clear and explicit permission is given.
Q: What if I have to miss one of the sessions? Can I still join?
A: Life happens! Our hope is that you can attend every session, but we 100% understand that things often happen that are out of your control or that you may have a time conflict for a certain session. Please still join a group and/or attend as many sessions as you can.
Video Study Groups:
Looking for content for your small group? Or maybe you attended a nextTalk event and you want to continue the conversation with your spouse, neighbors, or friend group?
The nextTalk 9-week video study is a self-guided comprehensive resource to help you start the process of creating conversation around tech, culture and faith in your home, church, and community.
Our hope is to make parenting a little less scary with relevant help in an overexposed world.
Not a tech expert? That’s okay. You can still keep your kids safe online. We’ll show you how.
The digital world has changed parenting. We’re in new territory.
What do we do?
How do we keep our kids safe?
We’ve found a solution.
Our faith-based video study is designed to answer these questions. Our goal is to walk you through 9 weeks of “first-steps” so you can start implementing the solution.