A healthy family is built on a foundation of love, trust, respect and communication among its members. When any of these elements is lacking or absent, the basic structure of the family is on shaky ground. One purpose of this session is to recognise the importance of these basic elements of the family unit and to add to and build upon them with respect to the relationship between adolescent sons and their fathers. For many, this will seem an arduous task. Communication between fathers and adolescent sons may be at a standstill; some fathers and sons go weeks or months without exchanging anything other than basic civilities. As an adolescent “spreads his wings” and gains new freedom, fathers often feel overwhelmed by the choices at their sons’ disposal and fearful of or threatened by the possibility that their sons will make negative choices. Yet the love between a father and son usually does not waiver even in the midst of this difficult time. For example, fathers are still very concerned about their sons’ safety and well-being; adolescents feel the same about their fathers.

This session helps to reopen or build up the lines of communication between sons and fathers, and by doing so, to reinforce the trust and respect they have for one another. This is an important task that also has spiritual ramifications. Jesus often addresses God as a loving “Abba,” or “Daddy”. The parable of the lost son highlights the love and care of a father for his two sons.

Without day-to-day experience of a father’s love, a son may have difficulty understanding the unfathomable love that God has for each one of us. One of the goals of this session, and the program as a whole, is to help sons to see their fathers as men of faith and as models of a God who loves them without bounds.