First, an exciting introduction...
I'm SUPER excited to introduce you to a new member of the GO! team. His name is Jeffrey Reed. He was formerly the Director of Lifeway Kids, but now serves as our Marketing Director.
I first met Jeffrey at a KidMin conference nearly 10 years ago--it was the first conference GO! ever had a booth at. He was representing Lifeway Kids and we were "booth neighbors." I'll never forget how encouraging and open-handed he was with us even though we were the new kids on the block.
Jeffrey comes with a background in curriculum publishing, but even more importantly, he has a tremendous amount of experience as a children's ministry leader! That's why I'm thrilled he'll be helping us pour into our KidMin community.
With that in mind, Jeffrey's got some great thoughts on connecting with the parents in your ministry. Read (and listen) below to see what he has to say.
I already know the answer to this question, but I'll ask anyway. When you have a parent meeting or gathering to touch base with those who spend the most time with the little ones you lead on Sunday mornings, what is normally your turnout? 10%? 25%? Half of your parents?
I suffered through this many times in my ministry to both children and students. The age of email has greatly diminished the importance of face-to-face meetings. So in my feeble attempts to "gather the troops" and talk about what should be the most important topic on their already-full plates, what should I expect as far as parent turn-out. When I was a student pastor in the 80s, it would usually be close to 100%. Parents wanted to know what the church was providing for their kids. Today, they assume a lot.
In family ministry in the early 2000s we could normally expect 50%. Now, 50% attendance by your parents would be somewhat miraculous. Why can't we just Zoom this? Can you just send out a detailed PDF in an email? Can we REALLY compete with soccer or after-school programs and events?
Well, you ARE competing, whether you like it or not, and you are competing, not merely for time with the parents but for the hearts of their kiddos. So how do you wedge your message into that ever-closing gap of time and commitment? How do you MAKE your parents show up at an event designed specifically to equip them to better lead their children at home?
You don't.
You simply talk to them when you DO have them? When is that?
In today's ministry world, the only time during the entire day, week, and year, that you will have almost every one of your parents gathered in one place is actually the busiest time in YOUR life.
Sunday morning. (or whenever your ministry regularly meets)
THIS IS THE GOLDEN WINDOW. Forgive me, I couldn't just capitalize "THE" in the last sentence because the whole sentence it is THAT important. The 30 seconds you interact with parents in the pick-up line after church may be the most important yet most neglected opportunity for your ministry. It is THE golden window.
Please tune into this podcast I did several years ago when I served as the Director of LifeWay Kids.
You'll get some specific tips. In the meantime, consider these three motivations for making the most of this small window.
This is the greatest chance to speak to all (or most) of your parents at once...with a clear and concise message.
The lesson or topic will be fresh in your mind. This is important as that's the whole purpose of talking to them, right? "Here's what we just taught your children. Now, YOU teach them likewise at home."
Every parents needs help and most are willing to admit it. Give it. Breath into them during this time. Arrange your classrooms or time so that YOU, the KidMin leader can greet them at the door and "hand the ball off" to them. Kids don't come with instructions, but we can give parents God's instructions for a life of faith.
Please use the resources available to you. GO! Curriculum not only has great handouts for PreK-Elementary, but a great "cheat sheet" that tells parents how to start spiritual conversations after church.
Don't miss this window. (And don't miss this podcast)
Join David Rausch for a live online demo of GO!
For the first time ever, I'd like to take you on a live, deep dive into that curriculum. It's a personal tour conducted by David Rausch, the creator of GO!
Please join me at one of two times:
April 9 at 12:30 p.m.
April 11 at 3:30 p.m.
During our time together, you'll discover:
The God story behind how GO! started
GO's approach to engaging and discipling kids
The anatomy of a large group and small group lesson
How you can customize GO! to fit a variety of formats
How GO! sets you and your leaders up for a big win!
Why thousands of churches trust GO! with teaching their kids
PLUS...
One attendee will win a 6 month GO! Premium subscription (both elementary and preschool) for FREE! We'll announce the winner at the end of the demo. Register below.
