While everyone can benefit from our Grow Board, it is especially useful for busy families, teachers, coaches, youth group leaders, and anyone else who desires to be more intentional with their days.

Aim to use the Grow Board once a week. If you miss a week or two (or three), it’s not a big deal. You can easily catch up.

Place this board in an area of the home where everyone will see it often. This could be a kitchen wall, by a frequently used door, a main hallway, a homeschool room, a playroom, or a family room. Teachers, coaches, and youth leaders could also hang the Grow Board in their classrooms, locker rooms, or other gathering spaces.

The Grow Board exists to help everyone pause and treasure each day. None of us know how many days we get here on Earth, so it’s important to step back from the crazy pace of life and honor our time together. As parents, when we can see how many weeks we actually have with our children at home (Lord willing), we tend to be more mindful of each moment. Plus, in today’s culture, it’s easy to let time slip away from us and allow issues to build up on the inside that go unnoticed or untended. The Grow Board is a reminder that time is a gift and that how we use this gift matters for eternity. 

The goal is connection and intentional living. Our Grow Board is a great way to celebrate each family or group member, pause to check in with each other, and pinpoint what you are building together in your hearts and home.

It’s simple: Pause. Connect. Focus. Grow.

1. Choose a day and time when everyone will be together. You may even opt to connect with your loved ones or group members virtually. Next, take some time to calculate how many weeks each member of your family or group has been alive. (Yes, some simple math is involved here, but you can use a calculator or an online tool to make the calculations easier.)
2. The Grow Board displays 20 years broken down by week numbers. Have each person move their Time Marker Magnet to the number they got in step one. This allows everyone to see how far they have come and, Lord willing, how far they may have to go.
3. Celebrate the miracle that each person is alive, and take time to communicate that you are thankful for each person’s life. 
4. Check in with each other. Our Connection Journals and Little Connection Journals contain prompts that encourage healthy reflection and conversations. Ask questions like
   • What are you thankful for this week? 
   • How are your heart and soul feeling these days?  
   • What is the best emotion you felt this week?  
   • What is the worst emotion you felt this week? 
   • How are you taking care of your body?
   • What thoughts are running through your mind?  
   • How are your relationships at home, school, or work? 

Celebrate the positives. Grow through the hard things. Ask for help in areas that seem too difficult.  

5. Decide as a group what character trait, value, or attribute you would like to focus on that week. Use magnetic letters, like our Wooden Alphabet Magnets, to spell that word out. This is a great time to define the word, practice spelling with younger children, and give real-life examples of the word in action. More ways to enhance this time together include:
   • Using a scale of 1 to 5, have everyone rate how well they put this word into action. The following week, everyone can re-rate themselves to see if anyone has grown in this area. 
   • Praying or reading the Bible together
   • Playing a game, doing an activity, or sharing a meal or treat together

Remember, you’re aiming for connection and intentionality. Be creative, have fun, and take turns deciding what this time will look like each week.