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When my son was little, I found that it didn't take much effort to get him to spend time with me. He was eager to wrestle, explore, and just hang out with his dad. But as the teenage years approached, I knew I would have to make an extra effort to stay close to my son. I also wanted to shape the man he was becoming by intentionally involving myself in his character formation and spiritual growth.

So I developed a series of short weekly lessons for us to work through together. They have proven to be such a benefit for my son and I that I turned them into a more formal "curriculum" for other fathers to use at home.

Each lesson is designed to last from 15–25 minutes. At the heart of these times is Bible study, prayer, and Bible memorization. But it is also a time for dads and sons to talk about school, friends, current events, or anything else that is on the boy's heart.

Because we are guys, each lesson also includes a time of physical activity or a game that lets dads and sons have fun together and build a stronger bond. These aren't elaborate by any means. One of our favorite lessons was a study on "walking in the Spirit" that involved little more than taking a walk around the block together. The goal was for me to show in a practical way how the Spirit desires to "walk through life with us."

When I put that particular lesson together, I was surprised that I couldn't remember ever taking a walk around the block with my son where our only goal was to talk and enjoy the time together. Not only have these father/son lessons shown my son that I am committed to him, they have reminded me that sometimes having an influence in my boy's life is as simple as taking a walk.

For further info, please visit our website at www.cfo–foundations.com.

—Walter Hegel

Copyright © 2004 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Parenting Today magazine.Click here for reprint information on Christian Parenting Today.

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