Planning and organizing parent-teacher meeting opportunities is essential in youth ministry. Parents of teens need guidance and support, especially as they oversee their kids’ spiritual development.
Youth leaders should connect, engage and release parents to be the primary disciplers of their teenagers. This is a key part of our job description as youth pastors. The question is how? How do we nurture families by equipping parents?
Obviously, emails, texts and interaction works. Parent meetings also are effective. When I first started in youth ministry, every parent meeting I held was strictly informative. They were short and basically addressed youth events, nothing more.
Now, I’m finding that those meetings were ineffective. Now I’m seeking to have effective parent meetings. But planning is essential for those meetings to be effective.
8 Tips: Planning and Organizing Parent-Teacher Meeting
Here are a few tips for planning and organizing parent-teacher meeting events:
1. Have a plan.
Be sure to have an agenda. Parents want a reason to attend. If the meeting isn’t organized, they won’t return to your next one.
2. Challenge parents.
We need to challenge parents just as we challenge students. Pray and ask God for direction on what parents need the most at each meeting.
3. Provide information.
Information is key, but don’t just throw it out. Parents want details in an organized fashion. Provide handouts and use PowerPoint slides. Think ahead of time about all the questions parents may have. That way you can answer them before they arise.
4. Share resources.
Offer resources about youth culture and effective parenting tips. Share whatever you’re reading (you’d better be reading!) about parenting and youth culture. Also share how parents can monitor and safeguard their students’ devices and social media accounts.
5. Supply food.
Everyone loves food, especially busy parents. So provide snacks, if possible, or ask volunteers to chip in. Food makes people talk easier, and it makes things more casual.
