19 Jun 2026, 09:08Dr Kirk Thomas, South England Conference PresidentWatford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom
Strong Trees in the Garden: The Lasting Influence of Fathers
Pastoral Letter, 19 June 2026
Dear Church Family,
Fathers have always played very important roles in families throughout history. They represent love, faith, courage, understanding and protection. To me, fathers are like the strong trees in a garden. These trees provide wonderful support and even give great shade to the garden. I will examine how fathers demonstrate each of these particularly important traits, using scripture and my first-hand experiences to describe them.
Beginning with love; there is no better place to start than a dad’s love for his children. Action speaks louder than words, and it is the actions that a dad puts forth to provide for his kids that tell a beautiful story. A father provides and gives up some of his own personal desires and needs to support his family. A good example of fatherly love is that of God for His children. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” As a father, I always try my best to spend valuable time with our children despite my busy schedule. I love it when we sit around and I tell them stories of my childhood. I really love them and want the best for them. Their safety is always my priority.
The quality of faith in a father has the most impact on a family. Fathers of faith teach their children to have trust in God, teach them the Word, and how to live it daily. The Bible verse in Joshua 24:15 says, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” I think this is the most committed that any father can be. This father is the leader of his family’s faith. He teaches his children prayer and Bible study to help each of them grow in their faith. I remember, there was a time when I had to leave with the children very early in the morning for School to beat the traffic. Those journeys were made beautiful by the Bible studies and worship songs we sang in the car. It was a wonderful time of teaching, learning and fellowship. That all bore fruit when they all surrendered to Christ, and I baptised each of them.
Another quality is that of courage. Being a father requires a lot of courage. Each father faces challenges every day in his life as a dad, and by facing them courageously, he shows that he loves his family more than anything else in this world. One of the scripture verses that reminds us to have courage in times of trouble is Psalm 27:14, which says: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” My dad always had a lot of courage. Fathers must be resilient and courageous. There are times in the journey of a family that the father would be called upon to lead serious decision-making. Those may be times of crisis, financial difficulties, etc. These are times when the leadership of the father in the home becomes extremely important. He must work collaboratively with each member of the family to do what is best – God will help him.
Dads display a lot of empathy. By showing kids love and kindness, dads are teaching their children to have the same feelings for others. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” One of the things that men struggle with is the ability to comfort their children. Many times, this is influenced by culture and upbringing. For many of us, it must be cultivated. Once this ability is developed, it will be a great source of support for our family. Putting your arms around your children to reassure them when they are sad or disappointed can go a long way to boost relationships. Speaking comforting words, holding their hands, and other affectionate gestures tell them that you care and love them deeply.
Protection is a quality seen very often in the lives of Dads. They are like the strong warriors guarding their homes against enemies, physical or emotional. As stated in Proverbs 14:26, the protection of the Lord over us and our children is what creates a secure fortress for us. Dads show their kids protection by physically keeping them safe and by helping them emotionally by protecting them from getting hurt in their relationships with other people. As a dad, I endeavour always to be a great protector. I work hard to give my family a great home to live in. I try to help the children create fond memories in life. My protection gives them the freedom to be kids.
The dads in our lives are so incredibly special. They are so much more than a provider to their families. They are Role Models and Guides. They teach us to have the qualities of a strong Dad: love, faith, courage, empathy and protection. They are blessings to us in so many ways. Their hard work, dedication and love for their families are something that we should recognise, thank them for and appreciate. Through their actions and examples, we learn to love and support others in our own families. These lessons last a lifetime and help us to become better people and parents. To all dads, happy Father’s Day!
Dear Church Family,
Fathers have always played very important roles in families throughout history. They represent love, faith, courage, understanding and protection. To me, fathers are like the strong trees in a garden. These trees provide wonderful support and even give great shade to the garden. I will examine how fathers demonstrate each of these particularly important traits, using scripture and my first-hand experiences to describe them.
Beginning with love; there is no better place to start than a dad’s love for his children. Action speaks louder than words, and it is the actions that a dad puts forth to provide for his kids that tell a beautiful story. A father provides and gives up some of his own personal desires and needs to support his family. A good example of fatherly love is that of God for His children. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” As a father, I always try my best to spend valuable time with our children despite my busy schedule. I love it when we sit around and I tell them stories of my childhood. I really love them and want the best for them. Their safety is always my priority.
The quality of faith in a father has the most impact on a family. Fathers of faith teach their children to have trust in God, teach them the Word, and how to live it daily. The Bible verse in Joshua 24:15 says, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” I think this is the most committed that any father can be. This father is the leader of his family’s faith. He teaches his children prayer and Bible study to help each of them grow in their faith. I remember, there was a time when I had to leave with the children very early in the morning for School to beat the traffic. Those journeys were made beautiful by the Bible studies and worship songs we sang in the car. It was a wonderful time of teaching, learning and fellowship. That all bore fruit when they all surrendered to Christ, and I baptised each of them.
Another quality is that of courage. Being a father requires a lot of courage. Each father faces challenges every day in his life as a dad, and by facing them courageously, he shows that he loves his family more than anything else in this world. One of the scripture verses that reminds us to have courage in times of trouble is Psalm 27:14, which says: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” My dad always had a lot of courage. Fathers must be resilient and courageous. There are times in the journey of a family that the father would be called upon to lead serious decision-making. Those may be times of crisis, financial difficulties, etc. These are times when the leadership of the father in the home becomes extremely important. He must work collaboratively with each member of the family to do what is best – God will help him.
Dads display a lot of empathy. By showing kids love and kindness, dads are teaching their children to have the same feelings for others. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” One of the things that men struggle with is the ability to comfort their children. Many times, this is influenced by culture and upbringing. For many of us, it must be cultivated. Once this ability is developed, it will be a great source of support for our family. Putting your arms around your children to reassure them when they are sad or disappointed can go a long way to boost relationships. Speaking comforting words, holding their hands, and other affectionate gestures tell them that you care and love them deeply.
Protection is a quality seen very often in the lives of Dads. They are like the strong warriors guarding their homes against enemies, physical or emotional. As stated in Proverbs 14:26, the protection of the Lord over us and our children is what creates a secure fortress for us. Dads show their kids protection by physically keeping them safe and by helping them emotionally by protecting them from getting hurt in their relationships with other people. As a dad, I endeavour always to be a great protector. I work hard to give my family a great home to live in. I try to help the children create fond memories in life. My protection gives them the freedom to be kids.
The dads in our lives are so incredibly special. They are so much more than a provider to their families. They are Role Models and Guides. They teach us to have the qualities of a strong Dad: love, faith, courage, empathy and protection. They are blessings to us in so many ways. Their hard work, dedication and love for their families are something that we should recognise, thank them for and appreciate. Through their actions and examples, we learn to love and support others in our own families. These lessons last a lifetime and help us to become better people and parents. To all dads, happy Father’s Day!
