How do you get parents involved in your ministry? - MinistryQuestions.com | Ministry questions, answers, advice, and input from other ministry workers

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How do you get parents involved in your ministry?

I would like to help parents to become "comrades" in ministering to their teens at our church, but can't seem to get any buy-in from most of them (a few are simply fantastic!) What ways do you use parents in your ministry and how do you help them see the importance of hands-on ministry?

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In Discipleship
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- Luke
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4 years ago

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parents,

ministry

involvement

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0 Votes We've recruited parents to join us on missions trips as well as become small group leaders. by Brian Ford 4 years ago by Brian Ford 4 years ago
0 Votes i think that parents are vital to a healthy ministry something that i do is i send the parents a weekly review of what is going on in class for there teens with hopes that it will spark conversation. i have found that parents want to be involved when they see youth ministry as more then just fun and games and there is a deep spiritual side of things. by JohnPyle 4 years ago by JohnPyle 4 years ago
0 Votes Matt- Most of my parents think that "listen" means "agree with". So if said parent wants me to listen to them and I do not immediately enact their suggestion, I am not listening. In theory what you are saying is good, but at least in my situation, it simply doesn't work. How can you communicate that parental input is welcomed, but is NOT the only consideration when making decisions. On the opposite side, though, re: Ivan-- I think you have to find ways to get some parents involved with the ministry b/c otherwise you are losing some of the perspective they can provide. Perhaps it is not ministry to THEIR child, but they can certainly connect with others. by Chuck 4 years ago by Chuck 4 years ago
0 Votes The best thing that I would tell you is to start by developing personal relationships with the parents. SO many youth pastors are fearful of parents and that is unfortunate. We must realize that need for parents to not simply be involved in youth ministry but in the lives of their kids first. Another thing is to get their input on events, ideas and calendar and teaching issues - give their advice a sounding board and actually use the things that are helpful. When they know that you are there for them and are willing to listen, they will be more likely to get involved in what you are doing. by Matt Ba... 4 years ago by Matt Bailey 4 years ago
0 Votes I build personal relationships with parents and keep the door open for them to come talk to me at anytime. I even invite them to come sit in the meeting to check things out. I touch base with the ones that want to and we keep each other in the loop. Parents are in no circumstances involved in my program or leadership. I believe God called me to this and I am daily involved with equipping my self with being effective. Most parents don't get it and a lot are not even involved in their kids lives. My ministry is confirmed to those who pray and see the fruit in their children and then they get involved. Sponsoring stuff. Mostly parents don't understand and mess up my kids. No parents please! by Ivin Vi... 4 years ago by Ivin Viljoen 4 years ago
0 Votes I opened the door for my parent involvement by hosting a once a month "chat" with parents. I gave several reasons for this monthly meeting time with them: communication of activities within the ministry, specific opportunities of varying degrees of commitment for them to get involved in the ministry, and I also tried to download a nugget of culture to them. I found by letting parents know there were 3 key pieces to our meeting time I got more and more to show up as I was appealing to something of intereset to several different parents. by Jason Lamb 4 years ago by Jason Lamb 4 years ago
0 Votes I'll continue the issue, though. It appears the answers are dealing with Christian parents, which is an issue. When you are dealing with non-Christian parents, though, you ARE the ministry influence. Can you give parents ownership of the ministry if they are not even believers? If so, what are the positions that work for non-Christian parents and which ones don't? Perhaps the rest of the church needs to step up in this area, but what if they don't? I can tell you that is the case in my church-- ministry to non-Christian parents is 100% dependent on what the youth ministry does. So how do we even get these parents connected to the youth ministry in the first place? by Chuck 4 years ago by Chuck 4 years ago
0 Votes We are currently launching a parent ministry within our youth ministry. Two volunteer youth leaders arrange for monthly gatherings for parents only. The purpose of these gatherings is to help us maintain open communication lines, inform the parents what is going on as opposed to the trickle down from the kids, and accept feedback from parents about what is impacting their kids the most and how we can begin to address needs that have come up at home. We incorporate parents as a part of the Leadership Team, but with some limitations. We present ourselves not as the answer to their problems, but as their allies in helping them disciple their kids. by jathaniel 4 years ago by jathaniel 4 years ago
0 Votes Well, I am just getting started. But I try to involve them by using relationship, responsibility and respect. (why do we feel we need alliteration at all times???) Talk to them, ask them how you can help, how it is going, what is going on at home...etc. You are there to EQUIP the parents not raise the kids. DO NOT remove the responsibility from the parent. Help them. Give them responsibility in the ministry...ownership. Ask them to help drive, back, cook, lead, kick kids back into play at a paintball fight, host a leader retreat or bbq or something. Get them involved and let them know who you are and that you care. Let them know you respect them and their family. (Darn 700 limit) by Brion 4 years ago by Brion 4 years ago

Votes

We've recruited parents to join us on missions trips as well as become small group leaders.

Brian Ford

4 years ago

Votes

i think that parents are vital to a healthy ministry something that i do is i send the parents a weekly review of what is going on in class for there teens with hopes that it will spark conversation. i have found that parents want to be involved when they see youth ministry as more then just fun and games and there is a deep spiritual side of things.

JohnPyle

4 years ago

Votes

Matt-

Most of my parents think that "listen" means "agree with". So if said parent wants me to listen to them and I do not immediately enact their suggestion, I am not listening.

In theory what you are saying is good, but at least in my situation, it simply doesn't work.

How can you communicate that parental input is welcomed, but is NOT the only consideration when making decisions.

On the opposite side, though, re: Ivan-- I think you have to find ways to get some parents involved with the ministry b/c otherwise you are losing some of the perspective they can provide. Perhaps it is not ministry to THEIR child, but they can certainly connect with others.

Chuck

4 years ago

Votes

The best thing that I would tell you is to start by developing personal relationships with the parents. SO many youth pastors are fearful of parents and that is unfortunate. We must realize that need for parents to not simply be involved in youth ministry but in the lives of their kids first.

Another thing is to get their input on events, ideas and calendar and teaching issues - give their advice a sounding board and actually use the things that are helpful. When they know that you are there for them and are willing to listen, they will be more likely to get involved in what you are doing.

Matt Ba...

4 years ago

Votes

I build personal relationships with parents and keep the door open for them to come talk to me at anytime. I even invite them to come sit in the meeting to check things out. I touch base with the ones that want to and we keep each other in the loop. Parents are in no circumstances involved in my program or leadership. I believe God called me to this and I am daily involved with equipping my self with being effective. Most parents don't get it and a lot are not even involved in their kids lives. My ministry is confirmed to those who pray and see the fruit in their children and then they get involved. Sponsoring stuff. Mostly parents don't understand and mess up my kids. No parents please!

Ivin Vi...

4 years ago

Votes

I opened the door for my parent involvement by hosting a once a month "chat" with parents. I gave several reasons for this monthly meeting time with them: communication of activities within the ministry, specific opportunities of varying degrees of commitment for them to get involved in the ministry, and I also tried to download a nugget of culture to them. I found by letting parents know there were 3 key pieces to our meeting time I got more and more to show up as I was appealing to something of intereset to several different parents.

Jason Lamb

4 years ago

Votes

I'll continue the issue, though. It appears the answers are dealing with Christian parents, which is an issue.

When you are dealing with non-Christian parents, though, you ARE the ministry influence.

Can you give parents ownership of the ministry if they are not even believers? If so, what are the positions that work for non-Christian parents and which ones don't?

Perhaps the rest of the church needs to step up in this area, but what if they don't? I can tell you that is the case in my church-- ministry to non-Christian parents is 100% dependent on what the youth ministry does.

So how do we even get these parents connected to the youth ministry in the first place?

Chuck

4 years ago

Votes

We are currently launching a parent ministry within our youth ministry. Two volunteer youth leaders arrange for monthly gatherings for parents only. The purpose of these gatherings is to help us maintain open communication lines, inform the parents what is going on as opposed to the trickle down from the kids, and accept feedback from parents about what is impacting their kids the most and how we can begin to address needs that have come up at home. We incorporate parents as a part of the Leadership Team, but with some limitations. We present ourselves not as the answer to their problems, but as their allies in helping them disciple their kids.

jathaniel

4 years ago

Votes

Well, I am just getting started. But I try to involve them by using relationship, responsibility and respect. (why do we feel we need alliteration at all times???)

Talk to them, ask them how you can help, how it is going, what is going on at home...etc. You are there to EQUIP the parents not raise the kids. DO NOT remove the responsibility from the parent. Help them.

Give them responsibility in the ministry...ownership. Ask them to help drive, back, cook, lead, kick kids back into play at a paintball fight, host a leader retreat or bbq or something. Get them involved and let them know who you are and that you care.

Let them know you respect them and their family. (Darn 700 limit)

Brion

4 years ago

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