WEEKLY
Get to know parents, and meet with them.
Youth pastors need to know parents as people before parents know us as pastors. Knowing your families story will help you meet their needs as a family. Do contact work like you would do contact work with students. Meet parents where they are. If a dad wants to meet at 5am. Do it. And dress accordingly.
Create great environments for teens.
Develop contagious environments so students have a great experience and want to come back. Parents love when their son and daughter love to do something other than playing video games or going to the mall.
Communicate, communicate…reiterate.
Communicate in multiple mediums. Try to find ways to integrate multiple mediums into one. Whenever communicating with parents do three things: inform, equip, encourage.
Invite parents with a purpose.
Plan an event where you are intentionally and strategically encouraging parents to come to youth group. Having an open door policy is great, but most parents will not come. Have a plan on how you invite parents because parents need a reason to come into your student ministry environments.
Be seen.
Be seen on Sunday morning. Be seen either before, during, or after church service. On Sunday mornings parents are on your own turf, so expect to use a good chuck of your time to connect with parents. Be seen after youth group. Go into the parking lot and greet parents as they are picking up their kids. Be seen in the community i.e. sporting events, grocery store, coffee shops, mall, etc.
