Kids ministry can often be focused only on the kids. But it is important for us to engage families, as well! Parents need the support of the church as they live out their role of discipleship at home, and we as kids ministers can help set them up for success.
Here are a few ways to do this:
- Make it easy and accessible to parents. Parents may not have enough time to go through a whole book. It is helpful to consolidate and give simple activities for parents to cultivate a family experience.
- Consider the age of the kids. Be sure that the take-home content is appropriate for the age of the family, helping parents keep their kids engaged.
- Give them God’s Word! Of course, you can send fun family activities, but be sure that the highest value is placed on the family’s time in the Word. Reading the Bible with their kids is the best thing parents can do. Give them a nightly reading plan, or a Bible verse that they can memorize for the week.
- Provide content that supplements the Sunday lesson. The great part about Explore the Bible: Kids, Bible Studies for Life: Kids, and The Gospel Project for Kids is that they have take-home content that will help families reinforce the weekly lesson. Be sure to either email, mail or hand out these pages to parents each week.
- Equip parents to point their kids back to the Gospel. Whether through newsletter, video or text, take time to equip parents to use daily occurrences to point their kids back to the Gospel.
At the end of the day, we want to champion families to begin discipleship at home. With a family focused kids ministry, we are able to empower parents to get involved and get into the Word with their kids!
2020 Family Advent Guide