A YEAR IN REVIEW By Gail Cicak, Executive Director
We have seen the Lord work in amazing ways this year! Our word for this year is “Renew,” to make new again, often through transformation, the restoration of strength. We get to see God renew and strengthen parents, caregivers and families as we offer hope through our parenting classes. In 2025, we were able to:
Train 106 new parents and caregivers
Host four Connect Events for anyone who has ever taken a Tried & True class. We invited their families to a roller skating party and petting zoo, and equipped parents through two educational sessions called "Connecting with Teens" and "Parenting in a Tech World" (see below).
Hire two new Trainers ~ Tara Holman and Dana Guentter
Our anticipation is building as we head into 2026! We are excited to see how God is going to continue to expand the depth and breadth of the work He has called us to, as He continues to renew families across the city. Glory be to God!
CLASS UPDATES
God faithfully equips us for what He calls us to.
We get to share this truth as we offer parents and caregivers tools that come from a place of love, connection and God’s heart for parents and their kiddos. Parenting is the hardest job there is! And it’s the most important. Nothing is more important than being one of God’s tools to raise a human soul. In Tried & True, we have the privilege of offering hope to families and encouraging them on their parenting journey.
"The Common Sense Parenting class put valuable tools in our tool belt. I loved being able to have the chance to practice the skills in real time and then come back to the class the next week to discuss the wins (and sometimes fails) with the instructors and other participants. I would highly recommend this class to others!" Joy & Noah Woodruff, CSP Alumni
PARENTING IN A TECH WORLD
We invited local speaker and author, Daniel McKee, to speak with our Alumni about how to navigate the digital age with our kiddos, young and old. Here are some of our takeaways!
🔨 Tech is neither evil nor awesome; it is a tool that speeds up what the heart is already looking for (can be good or harmful).
❤️ The most important thing we can do is shepherd the hearts of our children, so they make good choices with tech.
⏰ We can set time limits for tech in our homes, and we can eliminate secrecy of tech as a safeguard. Practical tip: Set up boundaries in your home such as no phones in bedrooms or bathrooms.
🎨 We can move toward connecting with our children and encouraging creativity. Practical tip: Is there a new skill your child can learn that can replace time spent on technology? Can your family choose to play games or cards instead of being on phones?
📝 We can teach our kids to honor God, others, our family, and their future selves in how they use their phones. Practical tip: Introduce a tech contract identifying appropriate ways to use technology. Click here for an example!
🎯 We want to teach and equip our children to be able to self-regulate their tech use at age 18. This is the goal!
WHAT'S AHEAD IN 2026
More parenting classes
More ongoing education sessions for Alumni parents and caregivers, as well as events prioritizing fun and connection with their children
More time dedicated to offering hope to families
We’re praying to bring on more like-minded Partners to reach even more families
We are asking God to provide the finances necessary to offer hope to more families. Will you help us love and equip even more families?
