I couldn’t believe it, the kid was walking away. Just a few moments ago a teen was walking up to our ministry, tried a door that happened to be locked and turned around to go home.
After the shock wore off we chased after him and asked,
“Dude, where you heading?” He told us that he didn’t see anyone inside, so he figured program was cancelled. We apologized, unlocked the door and went on with the night.
Sadly, locked doors aren’t the only obstacles we create for parents and teens in our ministry. Roadblocks that prevent people from getting to know Christ will pop up. It’s our job as leaders to:
Identify the Roadblocks
Take the Steps To Remove Them
If you want to make your ministry more accessible you need to be able to look at what’s being communicated and how it’s being communicated. Here are four steps to help you get started:
Build a help desk ministry
If I’m honest I get annoyed when the phone rings or my email inbox is full of questions that eat up my time. And while I want to be personal and accessible to every parent, teen or parishioner that reaches out, it’s just not possible.
That’s where it’s important to build a team of advocates that can serve as your help desk. They might not be able to support every pastoral need but they can:
- Communicates times, locations and logistics of your programs
- Offers basic resources like counseling services, and parenting tools
- Explain how someone can get involved or support the ministry
All you would need to do is create an email address like info@yourchurch’surl.whatever that forwards to a volunteer’s email address or give a group of people access to field the questions. Meet with someone who heads up the info department and make sure you are communicating with them the who’s, what’s, where’s and how’s of your ministry.
Make language a priority
Before my current ministry gig I had did not have to worry about making materials bilingual. Now that there is a large Spanish speaking population I have to make sure everything I communicate is bilingual. In addition to translating other things I’ve had to think about are:
- Does this phraseology work in both English and Spanish?
- Will this analogy make sense in both cultures?
- Even if the kids speak English, will the parents understand what to do?
Sometimes the biggest obstacle to connecting with a family is language. The extra work will be worth the effort.
Put it all online
Want to build trust with parents? Put your materials online. Small group questions, outlines of your talks, and notes to your leaders can all be helpful tools for parents. It takes away the mystery behind the question:
What did you do at youth program tonight?
To set this up create a webpage where parents can sign in and download the materials. If you aren’t sure how to do that or have the finances for a page create a shared Google doc. Email the link out to parents and let them see what you are doing.
Go live with what you do
In addition to sharing your materials don’t be afraid to stream your program. It’s a great tool for parents who want to know what’s going on and for teens who can’t make it to your program.
There are several programs out there like Zoom.us and Facebook Live that allow you to stream for free or low costs. Set up your mobile device on a tripod and send the link out ahead of time.
Going live will not only increase your accessibility but your exposure to people who might not give your ministry a try.
When you make your ministry accessible it communicates, “We get life is busy.” People will appreciate the grace and margin you are sharing, making it more likely they’ll return. It might take a little creativity and flexibility on your part but it’s worth it.
What steps are you taking to make your ministry more accessible?
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