If you want to reach people and see your church grow, then children's and family ministry must be a top priority.
The church where I serve as children and family pastor has an outdoor playground area. We are also in the middle of a large housing community.
As I was leaving the church last week, I saw a family playing on our outdoor playground. I didn't recognize them, so I went down to introduce myself and invite them to come to church on Sunday. We were having a family fun day after services with bounce houses, free hot dogs, pickleball, etc. so it looked like a great invite opportunity.
I talked with them and found out they live just a few blocks from our church. I invited them to come on Sunday and told them about the fun things that would be happening after services. The kids immediately got excited and started asking their parents to bring them.
Long story short, they ended up coming on Sunday for the family activities. Why did these parents show up with their kids? What were they looking for? What brought them in the door? They came for the first time because of some of the reasons listed below.
Let's take a look at the ten things parents are looking for in a children's ministry.
Partnership.
Parents are looking for someone to come alongside them and partner with them to see their children grow up to love Jesus. One way you can do this is to send home a weekly take home paper with discussion questions. You can also text parents with discussion questions. This can prove to be very effective. 98% of text messages get read.
Parents want to be heard.
Parents want to be able to ask questions, share ideas, and voice concerns.
One way you can do this is through parent focus groups. This involves bringing in a group of 8-10 parents and asking for their input and ideas. You can read more about focus groups and see what questions to ask in this previous article I wrote.
Bible memory.
Parents want their children to memorize scripture. Make sure kids are memorizing Bible verses on a consistent basis.
Parents want their children to enjoy coming to church.
Parents will get frustrated if they have to drag their children to church. Work hard to make church a fun, engaging experience for children. If the kids in your ministry say church is "boring," you will have a difficult time keeping families.
When parents ask their children the most asked question in the history of children's ministry...
"Did you have fun today?"
You want the answer to be a resounding "Yes."
Encouragement.
If you are a parent, you know that parenting is no easy challenge. Parents get tired and frustrated at times. They are looking for someone who will encourage them and let them know they will survive parenthood.
Make sure when you connect with parents, that it's not just about asking them to serve.
Parenting help.
I offer parent seminars twice a year. Parents are looking for parenting principles and insight.
Good communication.
Makes sure you communicate with parents on a consistent basis. I have a parent email that I send out at least twice a month. A parent Facebook page and Instagram page is also a great way to communicate.
Safety and security.
Parents want to know that their children are safe in your care. Have safety and security plans in place. Make sure every volunteer has been background checked and interviewed. Know what to do in case of a missing child or an emergency evacuation. Communicate these plans to parents. First-time guests especially need to know about your check-in and check-out plan.
Clear next steps.
What step should parents take when their children are asking about entering a relationship with Jesus? What step should parents take when their child is asking about baptism? What step should parents take to get their child in a small group?
I use a Salvation Class and a Baptism Class to help parents with these next steps. You can get more info. about this at these links.
These classes have helped thousands of families take these next steps. Using these classes, I saw over 430 children and many parents follow Jesus in baptism in one year. Check them out for your church.
Discipleship.
Parents want to see their children growing in their faith. Provide clear strategies to see kids be discipled.
Connect 12 curriculum helps kids grow in 12 key areas of the faith. You can get more information at this link.
I have also recently written a 30 day discipleship journey for kids that takes them through key discipleship topics and need-to-knows. This tool is a great way to disciple children after they invite Jesus into their life. You can get more information here.
Bring these 10 things into your children's ministry and you will see your ministry reach and minister to parents.
