9th Grade Resources

Grade 9: Christian Manhood and Womanhood

Goal: Your son should learn to be courageous, to be a man of honor, and to treat women with respect. Your daughter should learn to be a woman of honor, a person of true beauty and modesty, and learn how to relate to men.

 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).

Our culture is increasingly blurring the God-created distinctions between male and female. Some places are creating unisex restrooms. A school district in Nebraska no longer allows teachers to call students “boys and girls.” The LGBTQ agenda includes an emphasis on homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender roles. We must teach our sons and daughters that gender is a sovereign gift of God that reflects his image. We must teach them what a Christian man and a woman is supposed to be.

For Parents of a Young Man

• Fathers should teach their sons what it means to be a man. If you are a single mother raising a boy, ask a relative (Christian grandfather, uncle, or cousin) to help. Or, ask a high school Sunday School teacher or other godly man in the church to help.

• The first step is for dad to read the book, Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis. The book is available in our bookstore and library. Much of the following material comes from this book.

• Teach your son a definition of what it means to be a man. Here is a suggested definition:

1. A real man follows Jesus Christ. He is willing to stand up for Christ.

2. A real man accepts responsibility for his actions.

3. A real man lives with honor. His word is dependable. He is honest.

4. A real man leads with courage. He is not passive or fearful.

5. A real man treats women with respect.


Teach this definition by example, by stories from your own experience, and by talking about wrong definitions of what it means to be a man (sexual conquest, fighting, taking your first drink or smoke).

• Plan a ceremony to celebrate your son moving to manhood. His sixteenth birthday is a good time to do this. Plan a celebration meal or weekend that includes his favorite activity. Include other Christian men that will affirm and challenge him. Make him feel like a man.

Give him a gift that signifies his move toward manhood.

Resources for Christian Manhood:

Raising a Modern Day Knight: http://www.rmdk.com/

Men’s Fraternity: http://www.mensfraternity.com/

Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: http://cbmw.org/


For Parents of a Young Woman

• Parents are encouraged to read the book, Raising a Modern-Day Princess by Pam Farrel and Doreen Hanna. This book is available in our bookstore.

• Teach your daughter what it means to be a Christian woman, including honor, gentleness, purity, modesty, and the nature of true beauty (1 Peter 3:3-4)

• Plan a rite of passage ceremony for your daughter as she is becoming a woman. Include a blessing by her dad. (An outline for how to do a blessing is in Raising a Modern-Day Princess, p. 238).

Resources for Christian Womanhood:

http://moderndayprincess.net/

Becoming a Young Woman of God by Jen Rawson (This is a study for middle school girls, but some content is applicable to high school girls)

Guys are Like Waffles, Girls Are Like Spaghetti, by Chad Eastman and Bill and Pam Farrel