Father Daughter Summit on Feb. 25 to strengthen relationships

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Fatherhood and family researcher Ken R. Canfield, Ph.D. will headline Lipscomb University's Father-Daughter Summit on Saturday Feb. 25 at Lipscomb University, 3901 Granny White Pike, Nashville. The Summit is a one-day seminar designed to connect the hearts of dads to the needs of their adolescent/young adult daughters, according to Canfield. Registration will be at 8:30 a.m. in Allen Arena, and the program will begin at 9:30 a.m. The cost for the day if paid before Feb. 19 is $99 per father/daughter pair. After Feb. 19, the cost is $109.

 

The Summit is geared toward fathers or father figures and their daughters, age 11 or older.  Due to the personal, one-on-one interaction necessary for a successful Summit experience, every daughter must have a father figure to herself, according to the system.

 

"The Summit will provide father/daughter pairs with a full day of growing, sharing and learning more about each other," said John Conger, associate professor and chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Lipscomb University.

           

During the day, fathers and daughters will be challenged to access areas of strength and areas of weakness in their relationship and will then work together to formulate a plan using daddy-daughter dialogues to strengthen that bond, according to Canfield.  During "the unforgettable day of connecting with your daughter" there will be an interactive seven-session program, worship, assigned activities, and one-on-one time with father/daughter pairs. 

 

The seven sessions will be: The Value of a Dad & the Value of a Daughter, Personal Profiling, The Daddy-Daughter Dialogue, The H.E.A.R.T. of the Father-Daughter Bond, Probing the Inner Places, Commitment to New Goals, and Public Declaration and Celebration.  Other topics of discussion: Five needs of daughters and how fathers can help fulfill them; Father matters: why are dads so important?; Is he for me? Qualities of an outstanding young man; Walking together through the Gateway to Blessing; and Making the most of your father-daughter bond.  

           

"Men are not always the best when it comes to communicating.  They just don't communicate the same as woman do," Conger said.  "A lot of men have feelings, hopes, dreams and expectations about their children, but they don't always let their children know. This seminar will provide the needed opportunity for fathers to tell their daughters and daughters to tell their fathers what they mean to one another.  Our wish is that they will have better communication and a stronger relationship because of this summit experience," Conger said. 

           

The Family Wellness Conference is a project planned each year by senior family relations students. 

 

"This year the students decided to focus on the topic of father/daughter relationships because of the importance the impact of those relationships have in today's society," Conger said. "A big problem in the world today is the disconnect between dads and families. In recent years, this country has witnessed a growing awareness and concern for the well being of children and youth.  Likewise, we have seen a growing body of research literature that has pointed to the absent father as being a significant factor. Dads and men in general need to be more sensitized to their importance in the development of their children.  This summit is not just for young children. It is meant for daughters in middle school, high school, college and older.

           

"Healthy father relationships is a growing need and concern in the country and, certainly, in this city. The Father/Daughter Summit is an amazing program and Ken does an amazing job.  We are impressed with the quality of program he provides," Conger said.

 

Canfield, founder and president of The National Center for Fathering, earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy at Friends University in Wichita, Kan.  He earned his master's degree from the University of British Columbia-Regent College and has a doctorate from Kansas State University in Manhattan.  State and community officials have consulted him on ways to engage and equip fathers in local programming, according to his biography on fathers.com.  Canfield is the author of several books including "The Heart of a Father" and award-winning "7 Secrets of Effective Fathers."  He has appeared on television shows such as "The Oprah Winfrey Show," NBC's "Today Show" and ABC's "World News Tonight."  He resides in Kansas City with his family.  Canfield has been married for 28 years and has 5 children.

 

Canfield will be the main speaker during the Father/Daughter Summit. However, other, guest presenters include: Hannah Mabie, Canfield's oldest daughter, co-founder and developer of the SUMMIT; Jeanett Charles, who along with her husband founded Divine Alternatives for Dads Services (DADS); Van Walton, a native Venezuelan who is a national speaker and writer with Proverbs 31 Ministries; Kristi Hayes, a new member of the SUMMIT Team who is a nationally featured speaker on abstinence, self-esteem and freedom through Christ; Shannon Hoskinson, a Family Development Specialist who shares her life-changing experience with her own father in the conference; and Laura Story, the SUMMIT worship team leader who is a gifted musician and song writer.

 

For more information or to register for the conference, visit http://fcs.lipscomb.edu or contact Conger at 615.279.5729 or by e-mailing John.Conger [at] lipscomb.edu.