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Pastor shows his heart for Scottsdale
BY KRISTINE CANNON
Progress Staff Writer
GoDaddy executive-turned-pastor Brad Larson has made it his mission to create and foster community, not just within his church Gateway Church Scottsdale but throughout the entire area.
He’s doing through his free gift box, I Heart Scottsdale and his recently launched app, Qnnection.
“I believe we were created for connection,” said Senior Executive Pastor Larson, a Scottsdale resident of 17 years.
Delivered to new Scottsdale residents who sign up for it, I Heart Scottsdale is a free gift box �illed with local goodies – including gift cards and freebies at local businesses such as AZ on the Rocks, Mellow Mushroom, Athlete’s Territory, Barre3 and Sweet Provisions & Sweet Republic.
“The idea came to me in 2006 when I started to notice that so many people in Scottsdale were from some other part of the United States,” Larson explained. “While the sunshine and beautiful weather was so appealing, I noticed that people needed community, connection, and a way to be uni�ied in their diversity.”
Since I Heart Scottsdale launched about a year and a half ago, they’ve given away more than 1,000 boxes.
According to I Heart Scottsdale Project Manager Samantha Lesar, about 10 percent of the Scottsdale residents they reach out to sign up to receive the boxes on I Heart Scottsdale’s website.
“It’s truly a gift that we’re putting in people’s hands,” said Lesar, also a Scottsdale resident. “Every month, a �leet of 1,000 new people move into Scottsdale zip codes, whether it’s renting or owning.”
Larson said the creation of I Heart Scottsdale came from a need to develop a “love of place,” speci�ically for a city he’s personally grown to love.
Delivered to new Scottsdale residents who sign up for it online, I Heart Scottsdale is a free gift box fi lled with local goodies, including gift cards and freebies at local businesses.
(I Heart Scottsdale)
“My family has owned and operated several local businesses in Arizona, serving this community and providing jobs and connection here. I watched as people had a stigma regarding Scottsdale,” Larson explained.
“My experience in meeting so many wonderful people caused me to want to help provide a way for people to see the beauty in the city,” he said.
Also part of Hope + Wholeness Media, the Qnnection app launched this February and has since been downloaded more than 1,600 times.
The app, which took about three months to create in-house, features more than 1,000 questions across seven categories: engage, discover, connect, big-picture, married, and dating.
The questions range in depth and seriousness, and each category boasts nearly 300 open-ended questions designed to help users build relationships and, well,
Brad Larson (far right) is the Senior Executive Pastor at Gateway Church in Scottsdale and the Founder of I Heart Scottsdale. He and his wife Noelle Larson (far left) live in Scottsdale and have four kids together.
(Courtesy of Brad Larson)
connect.
“Questions are like keys that unlock the heart and mind of individuals,” Larson said.
“Imagine what this city could feel like if the people all around us took notice, cared to know more about us, and didn’t just pass by so quickly,” he continued. “I believe that is what happens with conversations, it builds connection and ultimately a community that we are proud to be a part of.”
The app can be used anywhere and with anyone: at the dinner table, on dates, with friends.
Larson uses it on road trips with his family.
“It has allowed us to grow deeper and learn more about each other,” he said.
Larson’s favorite memory of using the app so far is when he used it with a woman in her 90’s.
“The questions unlocked her childhood memories, and as we talked, she began to tear up thinking about precious moments of her life” he recalled. “That just made me realize how simple and profound this tool can be.”
The Qnnection team plans to add another kid-friendly category to the app, within the next couple of months.
“That’s the biggest thing we’re cooking up is making a category with grade-school appropriate questions,” Lesar said. “We need to �ill our parks with a spirit of optimism and do it in an intentional way. There are so many amazing people here that I have had the honor of meeting. I think we need more people to know one another and not just live next to each other,” he said.
The Qnnection app is free and available for download in the Google Play and Apple App Store.
Information: iheartscottsdale.com, qnnection.com
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 26, 2020 NEIGHBORS 21 How to keep kids safe online and limit screen use
STATEPOINT NEWS SERVICE
As families try to establish a new normal, balancing screen time for kids has become not only especially challenging, but more important than ever.
“It’s only natural that children will be spending more time on digital devices than usual these days in order complete school work, attend remote classes and communicate with friends and loved ones,” says Michele Havner, director of marketing at Eturi Corp., a company with a mission to empower parents to guide their children through a balanced use of technology.
“Restrictions about screen may need to be rethought in many cases, but they should not be completely eliminated.”
Here are a few insights and tips that can help parents create sensible, effective screen use guidelines for their children during the COVID-19 outbreak: • Rethink leisure time: According to Reel
Good.com data, March saw a whopping 70 percent jump in weekday streaming of kids’ movies and television shows.
While there may be more time on kids’ hands and fewer options of what to do with it, it’s important to emphasize alternative ways to relax and have fun so that kids are not spending all their waking hours looking at screens.
Leisure time will ideally include a mix of physical activity, creative projects, board games, reading and more. • Prioritize Online Safety: Unfettered access to the internet and social media sites can put children at risk for a number of online threats. The United Nations has warned that the increased unstructured time online has put millions of children at greater risk of both cyberbullying and of being exposed to harmful content. Experts note that in the same way �inancial scammers have been working in overdrive to exploit the current crisis, the internet has also seen a surge of online predators targeting children.
Try to spend time in the same room as your kids during the day so you can keep tabs on them. Parents should have a respectful discussion with children about what kinds of activities they are engaging in online and who they are communicating with. This discussion should include what constitutes inappropriate content. • Steer children to quality content: From free educational gaming apps to the online educational resources offered by museums and your local library, actively encourage your kids to explore the wealth of positive content designed for students and young people. • Update Devices: Be sure to keep your family’s devices safeguarded from hackers and malware by installing the latest updates. New tools can help parents effectively keep screen time in check. For example, by using OurPact, a screen time management solution, parents can limit app access automatically for recurring activities like school or bedtime and can block or grant internet access on a child’s device any time.
Parents can view screenshots of kids’ digital activity on Apple devices. This feature will be available on Android soon. Information: OurPact.com. • Check in: During your own free hours, spend some time checking in with your kids to see how they are coping with the current situation, how they are spending their free time and whether they are facing any struggles with remote learning. • Online resources: Through the Leap
Frog Learning Path, an online portal featuring free resources to keep children learning at home, parents can �ind valuable advice from learning experts on a variety of topics, such as preparing kids with 21st century skills and learning to read.
In addition, the portal provides a suggested daily schedule, a list of educational websites and free printable activity books..
Whether a parent is looking for a roleplay toy for their child that loves pretending to be a chef, a desk to practice writing skills or an interactive learning system, personalized toy recommendations will make it easier for parents to keep children engaged and learning.
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