** The Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) in Nebraska
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nebraska:
Comprised of over 10,000 people who are going to work, to school & into the community each day
to share the good news of Love as revealed in Jesus Christ.
The CCN is 51 congregations located in 42 different communities across Nebraska.
The CCN administers & oversees the ministries of COTNER COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL MINISTRIES:
Providing Ongoing Programs of Growth and Education for Clergy
and Laity in Nebraska, including the ELM program
ELM provides quality education for persons who seek to prepare for ministry
within the congregations of the Disciples of Christ, UCC, and Presbyterian traditions.
** Child Savings Institute - Omaha NE
4545 Dodge Street, Omaha NE 68132
A Moment of Care . . . A Lifetime of hope . . responding to the cry of a child
Founded in 1892 and for over 100 years, Child Saving Institute has facilitated healing for children and families in crisis
ASHLAND FOOD PANTRY
contact the church office if you or a family you know is need
We collect items for the Food Pantry each Sunday;
this month's needs are posted on the Newsletter page
As many of you know, Pastor Mike is and has been
a long-time member of the At-Home Dad's organization
He was named an 'Emeritus Member' & serves as a
facilitator at last years convention & did again in 2010
Be sure to 'scroll down' a bit further , to find a recent
article / interview with Pastor Mike about At-Home Dad's
Their 15th Annual National Convention
At-Home Dad's was held in OMAHA
SATURDAY, October 2nd, 2010
Watch here for October 8 2011 Program Details Programs are still being developed for the 2011 convention . .
We will be publishing more about the 2011 convention soon
^ click on logo above - You are invited to view their website to learn
more about the organization and how they help each other;
to be better Dad's, in their many needed roles with their children, their spouse (or not !)
Whether or not you are a married dad, a single dad, etc., your responsibilities
with the children require sharing tips in parenting, providing safe places for
play groups to meet, etc. from others At-Home Dad's who truly understand
your very special duties & roles.
A RECENT INTERVIEW and ARTICLE
with Pastor Michael Njus, At Home Dad "Emeritus"
Stay-at-Home Dads Rely on Each Other
June 2, 2010, at 07:00 AM
by Jill Bruckner, Neighborhood News, a free publication, distributed courtesy of HY-VEE Stores
Note to at-home dads: You are not alone.
In fact, Omaha, site of this year’s National At-Home Dads Convention, also plays host to one of the Midwest’s most active groups of hands-on dads in the region: LinOma Dads
A local chapter of the nonprofit Daddyshome, Inc., a national at-home dad network, LinOma Dads provides a forum for at-home fathers to build relationships, exchange ideas and nurture their families while also working together to create strategies for effective parenting.
“I was a stay-at-home dad,” said Michael Njus, now pastor at First Christian Church of Ashland. “My son is turning nine in June, and I quit my customer service job with ConAgra when he was born after we realized we could live on my wife’s income as an RN at University Hospital. I already felt so strongly about active parenting. We knew we wanted one of us to be home.”
While Njus willingly back-burnered his career to focus on family, the shift from executive to full-time caregiver was eye-opening, he said.
“When our son was about three months old, I kind of woke up out of that sleepless fog. I admitted my life is sleeping, burping and changing diapers, so I started reaching out to other stay-at-home dads and learning it’s important to take control of your day and plan things.”
After meeting Lincoln father Phil Andrew, who was also an involved, at-home dad, Njus created “more structured play dates” that included Andrew and his kids. Ultimately, the pair attended the National At-Home Dads Convention in Chicago.
Inspired, Njus and Andrew formed LinOma Dads. “Our first meeting was just, ‘Are there dads out there? If you’re interested in meeting, show up,'” Njus said. “I showed up at our kick-off not knowing if anyone would be there to meet me, and 25 dads came. Until that time, I thought I was the only one in Omaha doing this.”
While psychologists note involved parents of either sex can help kids succeed, at-home dads face challenges their female counterparts seldom encounter.
“At-home dads struggle with their identity as men. Society still believes that childcare and household chores are a ‘woman’s work.’ Fortunately, most at-home dads come to enjoy their unique role and get comfortable changing diapers and folding laundry, instead of ‘bringing home the bacon,’” according to Daddyshome, Inc.
The result? Well-centered families with Dad spearheading the household operations. Even so, success for stay-at-home fathers, researchers say, can be even greater if these men connect with each other.
Enter the At-Home Dads Convention, coming to Omaha’s Durham Museum, this October 2nd.
With nationally known presenters - - from authors to psychologists - - and break-out sessions designed to increase understanding and pump up family efficiency, the convention provides dads opportunities to share “challenges and triumphs with other dads who ‘get it.’”
“I love being a pastor,” Njus said, “but, looking back, I’m thankful I had the opportunity to stay at home with my kids. I also look at life as it is now. What is currently evolving with my wife and I, is she has reduced some of her hours. Now she’s getting an opportunity to be with the kids.”
Njus suggested that regardless of whether a child’s mother or father chooses at-home parenting, “Being a parent is the most awesome thing I’ve ever done. I knew I wanted to be a dad, but it’s so much better than I thought it to be. Parenting is awesome.”
Learn more about at-home dads at daddyshome.org
Click on the site’s Omaha, Lincoln or Council Bluffs link for metro-area news.