Westwood partners with organizations that help reach people with the love of Jesus. One of those organizations is Connected Families. Lynne and Jim Jackson co-founded Connected Families in 2002. Their ministry works to inspire and equip parents to receive and pass on God's grace and truth by imparting a Biblical framework for parenting.
Connected Families serves parents through coaching and workshops conducted in partnership with churches and organizations. They produce numerous free and suggested donation based hard-copy and online resources. They are currently working with nationals in several countries to translate resources in places where the need for practical and Biblical resources is great.
“Our greatest joy is hearing stories of profound change as parents move away from behavioral approaches to parenting to identity-based parenting, steeped in the identity we have in Christ. Parents consistently tell us that what they learn transforms their family relationships,” said Jim.
Highlights from the past year include:
- In 2017 they formed a partnership with Family Life Canada to give hope and help in Jesus' name to every Canadian family.
- They are currently working with ministry leaders in several countries to translate and contextualize the framework they teach.
- Connected Families conducted over 100 workshops with over 6,000 parents in 2017. They were interviewed with Focus on the Family, KTIS and numerous regional radio shows. Online courses have now reached over 4,000 parents.
Along with growing a staff team of ten at Connected Families, they developed a subsidiary department called SafeGenerations, which serves the Child Welfare industry. The growth is good, but the organizational pressures of the growth are “complex at best.” A current challenge they face is to determine the best stewardship of the growth of both Connected Families and SafeGenerations.
“As Lynne and I have gone through personal stress, family crises and professional pressures over the past year, we have more than ever sensed the oneness God called us to, not just for ministry, but for life. Though some of the answers about how God works and what's the ‘right’ way to believe are fuzzier than they used to be, we are more committed than ever to the truth of the Gospel of grace and the unrelenting love of Jesus,” Jim shared.
