We know if we want to influence kids, then we have to influence their greatest influencer...their parents.
When you reach a child, you change a life. When you reach parents, you change an entire family.
Our passion should be to reach not only kids, but their parents as well.
Do you want to reach parents? Then I've got some good news for you. You can reach parents if you will be intentional about asking them one simple question.
Let me give you a real time example of the question you should ask.
Our children's ministry had a first-time guest family on Easter. They were an unchurched family. They decided to attend church on Easter, drove by our church and decided to try this "church thing" out. They came back this past Sunday and when the parents came to pick up their children, they approached me about their elementary kids and teenagers being baptized.
I shared with them that we have a class called Starting Point. It's a class that kids and their parents attend together. In this class, we explain what it means to become a follower of Jesus. Last night they came to the class together as a family. This is a crucial step. Don't have a salvation class just for kids. Make sure that parents attend with their children. No drop offs. This is because you want to share the Gospel with the parents as well.
I asked the parents one simple question.
I know you want to see your children accept Jesus and be baptized. That's great. Let me ask you as well. Have you accepted Jesus and been baptized yourselves?
This one simple question will open the door for you to reach the parents as well.
If you want to reach parents, then start using this approach. You will see God do amazing things.
At a church where I served as children's pastor, we saw over 430 children and dozens of parents accept Jesus and follow Him in baptism in one year. Every child and parent who got baptized that year had been through the Starting Point class together. You can get more information about the Starting Point class at this link.
If you look at Scripture, you will see parents who came to Jesus for one reason. They needed something from Jesus for their child. They needed their child to be healed. They needed their child to be brought back to life. They needed their child to be set free from demonic possession. Their first contact with Jesus was because of their children.
This can still happen today. Parents can be reached through their children. Parents can come in contact with Jesus through their children. Entire families and generations can be reached through children.
The family I met with...in a few weeks the entire family is going to be baptized together. All because of asking one simple question.
Start asking that question and you will be amazed at what God does in the lives of families.
