By Verghese V Joseph –
It was literally Daddy’s Day Out!
Dads turned out in decent numbers on Sunday (June 16) to celebrate Father’s Day with their children at Holy Ghost Church Grounds, Bengaluru. It was heartening to see them taking time off to bond with their kids over a game of football. The event was conducted by Adrian Stevens and Chris D’Souza, co-authors of “Good Fathers to Great Dads”, in partnership with Holy Ghost Church. Nearly 30 parents and 25 children participated in the day-long event.
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It was a great day of relationship building for dads and kids through this sports-based workshop by building communication channels, assessing and growing their children’s capabilities. But it was also about the dads being assessed via score cards, on values, roles & desired characteristics. The concept was born out of the book “Good Fathers to Great Dads”.
The day began with a prayer by Fr. Lawrence, Assistant Parish Priest, Holy Ghost Church. He touched upon the significance of the day, being the feast of Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It was only fitting that the event was organised on the beautiful day of the Holy Trinity. This was followed by a briefing by Adrian on the list of activities planned for the day.
It was indeed a spirit-filled day for children to be with their fathers, taking part in various activities. It was a glorious sight to watch so many dads play football alongside their children who ranged from 2 to 18 year olds! For many dads, it was their first-ever activity of this kind and they actively took part in the interest of their children. Both dads and children came to understand and know each other better. Fathers were surprised to learn how talented their children were. Likewise, children too got to know newer aspects of their dads which until now went unnoticed. Both, dads and kids were seen encouraging and supporting each other to net the ball into the goal. They learnt the importance of humility, being a team player, backing each other, and just being there for one another.
A sumptuous lunch and snacks was provided by the organisers. After lunch, Chris took fathers through a short workshop in role modelling for dads as leaders and dealt with issues that come between fathers and children and suggested ways and means to address them. The workshop was an eye-opener for many. The kids were kept busy in making cards and posters for their dads!
On this occasion, Fathers undertook a Dad’s Pledge to protect, support and more important pray for their families. The day ended with dads and kids children growing closer in their bonding and with happy smiles and feelings in their hearts. There was a positive vibe through entire day and many felt such activities should be planned more often.
If anyone wishes to organise such activities in your parish, get in touch with Chris or Adrian at [email protected]