Host parenting classes. It’s time for children’s ministries to take the lead and offer parenting classes. If the adult ministry is currently doing parenting classes, get involved and see how you can partner with them.
Invite them to serve. One of the best ways to get parents connected is to invite them to serve in children’s ministry. Create a good culture for this and you will see parents get connected to other parents who they are serving with. I have often seen parents that serve together, start a small group. Create opportunities for parents to spend time together outside the services.
There are many parents that are lonely. Barna recently released some info about this.
- 9% of Boomers (grandparents) feel lonely for at least some of each day.
- Gen Xer’s (parents of older children) say they are lonely 33% of the day.
- Millennials (parents of younger children) say they are lonely 46% of the day.
Many of the parents in your ministry are lonely. They are searching for a way to get connected to other people. You have a great opportunity to not only get children connected, but parents as well.
As you plan for ministry in 2022, I want to challenge you to make connecting parents and helping disciple them to be one of your top priorities. Put your ideas on the calendar. It will be one of the best ministry shifts you can make.
Remember this…
When you reach a child, you change a life. When you reach parents, you change an entire family.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
