Connect with Youth Parents
The more I talk with youth pastors, the more I know that they usually group parents into three categories:
- Annoying/Antagonistic
- Out of the loop/Uncaring
- Cheerleaders/Helpful
Obviously, we all want parents to be that last category. Who wants people who are actively working against the ministry you’ve got going on? And nobody wants to see parents being out of the loop, or worse, uncaring about their own kids.
So what can a youth pastor do to help move parents from the first two bad categories into the third really great one?
Connect.
Youth pastors who spend their time only focusing on students or volunteers and spend NO time trying to connect with parents are missing out on what could possibly be the best way to gain support and figure out great ways to minister better to the students in their ministry.
Even and especially if you don’t have kids yourself, or your kids aren’t teenagers yet, connecting with parents can be a great way to hear from them and see how everyday life in their house is going.
If you go out to have lunch with students and spend time attending students, activities, or events, you already know the best way to connect with parents. It’s the exact same thing!
When you’re at a student’s event, make sure you spend some time talking with the parents. More than likely, their student is playing the game or involved in the show. This gives you a great chance to talk to their parents. By showing their parents that you actually care about how they are doing, you show them you care about their family as a whole.
Also, invite parents to lunch sometimes. And not just the parents whose kids give you the most grief. Tell them you just want to catch up and get to know them better. If you do this just once a month, I promise you’ll find parent support growing over time!
Not sure what to talk about with parents? Here’s an easy start:
I find that these three questions can be a huge in roads with most parents.
Ask him how things are going on at home with the family.
Was your parents at church. We see their students at school. But we don’t see how things are going on at home. Asking how the home front is open a window into what’s happening.
Ask if there’s a way a ministry can be more helpful
You might hear suggestions that are outside of your control like how much camp costs, but you might also hear a suggestion that you can actually put to work! Bonus points with your senior pastor or boss when they ask you why you want to implement this new change.
Ask how you can be praying for the family
More than likely, this will be some combination of what you’ve already talked with them about, but it still lets them know that you care about them and want to spiritually support them. Always a win!
Connecting with parents and asking great questions will help you garner support for your ministry just because you show up for them!
Give it a try.
