Easter offers many evangelism opportunities. Read one youth minister’s tips on how to conduct outreach to teens’ families at Easter.
The death and resurrection of Jesus is for every student and every parent. During Holy Week, we remind teens that Jesus was a living sacrifice with a vision and plan for each of us. To be loved and to love. To be known and to know. Because of Jesus’ great love, we are free. We are alive in Christ. Isn’t the Easter gospel that simple?
But hold on! What if the gospel, what if Easter, isn’t that simple for everyone? What if living out the gospel is difficult for some kids’ parents?
Supporting Families at Easter
This Holy Week, let’s think about how we support parents who feel spiritually ill-equipped and inadequate. We can encourage these parents. God’s grace and mercy are enough. Parents don’t have to be perfect to be spiritual leaders and influencers. And they don’t have to be Bible scholars to live out the gospel.
The truth is, we’re all inadequate. God doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called. Few parents are vulnerable enough to admit that the fear of biblical illiteracy keeps them from having spiritual conversations with their kids. These parents depend on our spiritual leadership to guide their students while they take a back seat.
But students need parents to take the front seat. Parents take a spiritual back seat because they lack confidence in their own relationship with God. We know that God has a track record of loving and working through imperfect people. He will love and guide parents and their teens through his Holy Spirit.
Reaching Parents and Families at Easter
How can we partner with the work of the Holy Spirit? What can we do to help parents move from the back seat to the front? Start with these three essentials:
1. Engage
First off, this Easter it’s critical that we engage with parents beyond drop-off and pickup. They have a much more important role to play than taxi driver. By engaging with parents of teenagers, we become partners in ministry. We can see their spiritual needs and offer support and encouragement. We must invest in parent relationships.
2. Encourage
Second, encouraging parents is as important as communicating with them. Parents need to know their role is way more significant and influential than ours. When was the last time you had the opportunity to tell a parent they were doing a good job? When did you tell a parent their student loves them?
Parents need to know they’re not alone. They need to know we’re backing them up. Even if it means calling us at 2 a.m. for support.
