Lifeway’s ETCH Family Ministry Conference is all about helping you link together with other ministry leaders in your church to better serve the families in your church from birth to high school. ETCH stands for “Equipping the Church and Home” and we are excited to announce our 2018 theme: “Unbroken.”
“A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”
In many churches, different age level ministry areas stand alone. The preschool ministry is disconnected from the elementary ministry. The kids ministry is not anywhere close to being on the same page as the student ministry. These ministries often have different programs, different content, and totally different ministry philosophies. We can often see these ministries like silos on a farm standing alone without connecting or supporting one another. Parents and volunteers also feel disconnected and out of the loop with what’s going on. This approach to family ministry is BROKEN.
As a result of our BROKEN strategies, we often lose kids, students, and parents as they muddle through competing messages and ever-changing practices. Families desire consistency in the church as they weave throughout the different stages of their child’s life. There’s a better way of doing family ministry: an “UNBROKEN” way to do family ministry.
What would it look like for every church to intentionally link together preschool, kids, student, and NextGen ministry? What would it look like to create that seamless, unbroken experience for kids and families?
When our ministries link up with cohesive philosophies, ministry approach, and content, we can craft the spiritual trajectory we hope our kids will follow with consistent, long-range goals from preschool through high school. When we do this, each ministry area is pointing to Christ in the same clear way. Just like the cord of three strands, our family ministry areas are stronger when they link together.
We hope you’ll join the Lifeway Kids and the Lifeway Students team October 17-19 in Nashville as we dive deep into what a truly “Unbroken” family ministry approach looks like. You’ll hear from family ministry experts, be inspired by engaging worship and keynote speakers, and form stronger bonds with the other leaders in your ministry. You can find out more and register by visiting etchconference.com.
Micheal Walley serves as the Lifeway Kids Event Producer. He is a graduate of Mississippi College and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Micheal has been serving in Kids Ministry from the moment he was “promoted” out of kids ministry himself. He loves coffee, leadership, all things creative, and his wife, Anne Marie.