I was paranoid. In my first few years of youth ministry I could have sworn parents were out to get me. Almost every interaction felt like a fight. I thought they were constantly against me and not on my side.
Courtesy of GalivantingGirl/Creative Commons License
Then I got older, met more parents, gained experience, became one myself and realized:
PARENTS ARE ONE OF THE BEST RESOURCES A YOUTH MINISTRY CAN HAVE
You need parents on your side and involved in your youth ministry. They will:
In the end you cannot replace them. However, you can impact the way they are involved in your ministry. To get them on your side and influence parents you need to:
Never assume that parents are in the know because you talk to their teens. If there is something important parents should know (i.e. permission forms) make sure you tell them yourselves. Parents will appreciate the fact that you are thinking about them.
The time you spend with teens in a year is nothing compared to their parents. The people at Orange say the ratio is about 40/3000. Side up with parents by encouraging them to go deeper with their teens. Do this by:
The more confident they are in their faith, the more confident you can be that teens won’t stop growing when they go home.
Parents need affirmation. Even if their kid is an all star they might feel like they are failing them. Don’t just call parents when their kid is in trouble or hurting. Share with them when their teen is doing a great job. Thank them and encourage them to keep doing a great job. When a parent realizes that you are on their side, your ministry will become more of a priority.
You have to be intentional with the relationship your ministry has with parents. When a parent feels like the church is behind them, they are going to see the church as a partner in their life. Capitalize on this relationship and watch your ministry grow.
Share your thoughts and strategies. What have you done to strengthen the relationship you have with the parents in your ministry?