“If you are reading one of our articles from the Articles page, or if you might want to sign up for our monthly “Dads group”  (rickatgcnw@aol.com) or if you and your wife are interested in attending one of our Parenting Seminars - you would probably want to know a little bit more about the writer/speaker.” 

The Measure of Boy/Girl ... The Measure of a Teen

Great Commission Northwest  

Dear Dads,

     "For the last fifteen years, if I could put my finger on one topic that we feel God has given us some insight with, it would be in this area of parenting.  It seems that this is the subject that we come back to, over and over, with our conferences."

     "I speak primarily to help families build children who are obedient, who have strong work habits and who are solid in their academics.  And I especially seek to emphasize how critical the Great Commission mindset is, in building strong, focused, Christian teens."

     "In no way do I think that I have all the answers.  I believe that what we are teaching is narrow, nor ‘my-way-or-else’.  Rather, we try to concentrate on the larger principles in parenting. 

      “We want and seek to help strengthen hearts and willpower."

      “We have spoken at conferences on this topic, now over sixty times.  A number of different titles for these parenting seminars have been used.  Some have called it,  "The Measure of a Boy/Girl" or sometimes, "Parenting 101", or "The Art and Science of Christian Parenting," whatever.

      “My passion is to challenge, encourage and equip parents to stand up, speak up, and reach out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ - through their families.

     "When we are sharing our faith and reaching out to the lost, as couples and as families - and getting our eyes off of ourselves - then all facets of our family life seem to fall more into place."  

     We have had the privilege of speaking in churches, at conferences, and retreats from Maryland to California, from Minnesota to Texas and Florida.  I also work as a regional director of Great Commission Northwest. In this capacity I try to help "pastor the pastors" and serve as a church consultant.  I try to come alongside and help a number of churches and many pastors scattered across several states.  

     Our churches are members of the Great Commission Association of Churches (GCAC) and I work as one of the national directors.  GCAC is approximately thirty years old, founded on college campuses, and now made up of over 150 churches based in communities and on campuses around the world.

     GCAC is evangelical and works with quite a few campus ministers, missionaries and church planters overseas and across the United States, through our mission-sending agency, Great Commission Ministries. (GCM) 

     Neva and I have been married thirty three years.  We have seven children, all of which have graduated from high school and gone on to college.

     Four to Colorado State University in Fort Collins and the last three to the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The oldest six have worked as Residence Hall Assistants.

     Three of my children are married.  Josh is a civil engineer living and working in Salt Lake City and serving in the churches there.   He is married to Krista and they have two boys.

     Mandy is married to Tom Brown who is involved as a leader in the campus ministry there at CSU.  They have two sons.

     Joy has her masters and is working at Denver University. Grace is married to Jeff Wieman who is a leader in our church in downtown Denver.         

     Mike, Jessica and Rebecca are all students at UNO. 

     I want to invite you to attend one of my seminars and hear our collection of stories.  I think they will make you smile.  And hopefully encourage you as parents, fathers and mothers.

     Neva and I do have some experience to draw upon with our own seven, and we love to talk over the challenges and joys that we face as parents.

                                                 Keep pressing,    Rick Whitney

                                                 rickatgcnw@aol.com