Engaging Parents on the Journey

There’s no doubt that one of my favorite aspects about kidmin is the opportunity to inspire, encourage and equip parents to engage in the journey with their kids.  I believe that if we become experts in these three areas then we will significantly impact the trajectory of the family today.

Today Sam Luce, Jonathan Cliff & Dan Scott posted about an Easter Curriculum created by a team of kidmin leaders that simply wanted to do something different.  Is it better than other curriculum options out there?  No.  It’s simply a project we decided to embark upon and thought it would be fun to share it with you guys.

The series “God To The Rescue” is based out of the Jesus Storybook Bible.  Each week unpacks a theme from the JSB and each Parent Take Home prompts parents to read from the JSB.  I love how that links together.

You’ll recognize some of the contributors, though it’s important to know that there were many people contributing from the background that don’t normally have a voice in the blogging world.  They may not have a voice here, but they certainly have an impact in kidmin.  For example, I’m noted for contributing some of the small group content and though I enjoyed being a part of those conversations when it came down to the proverbial rubber meeting the road… Kandice Baker is the one who shaped the week of content we contributed.  She’s an amazingly talented leader in elementary kidmin but most people don’t hear her voice.  Well, now you have the chance.

Though it was inspiring to be a part of the conversations about Small Group activities and Large Group content… the part that lights me up the most is connecting what we’re teaching at church with mom and dad at home.

So I took lead on the Take Home piece attempting to create something fun & simple yet equipping.  Each Take Home piece (aka Parent Connection) has an activity or conversation starter and scripted dialogue.  The script doesn’t have to be used, but can be beneficial for the dad who just met Jesus yesterday and is nervous about leading his kids through a devo.  The whole idea is simplicity.

Just like many pieces that we send home, the effort is primarily to generate conversation on the drive home, at the dinner table and when the kids are tucked in bed at night.

As families move in and out of everyday life, how do we equip mom and dad to capitalize on the daily opportunities to point their kids to Christ?

It was fun writing these Parent Connections.  I think the most fun was working with people like Kendra Golden & Jenny Rogers as they helped me to shape different parts when I was stumped.  I love how God speaks into my life through others that are distinctively more creative than me.

All in all, I’m excited about this Easter Series and how it will impact families.  At Faith Promise, I’ve made the Jesus Storybook Bible available for purchase in our Resource Area and have encouraged parents to grab their copy in preparation.

As the weeks progress I will blog (on our church blog) about our own journey as a family.  Our experiences with the Parent Connections, how Kyle & I lead through them and how we engage all three of our kids (5, 8 & 11).

Easter is the most powerful, eternity-changing story to share with the family.  My prayer is that no matter what curriculum you choose…

God’s Word is spoken boldly,

His Presence is felt definitively, and

His Church is changed for eternity.