Does it surprise you? In that case, I will probably be a teacher's worst nightmare...not because I am necessarily "Supermom" but because I am a psycho when it comes to my daughter and her education.
When it comes to Christian education, I wonder how much we push out parents in the process of discipling children. I also wonder why parents aren't as ready to be involved in the process of disciple-making as they are in formal education. I understand the importance of being involved in the educational process. These 12 years set them up for life. We have to be sure that in Kindergarten they are at the top of their class and maintaining for scholarships to Harvard, right? What about Christian education?
Experts say that at age three children begin to collect data to help form their worldview. By the time they are 13 they have formed a solid worldview that they are not likely to change for the rest of their lives. In fact, if children have not made a decision to be a follower of Christ by 13, they are not likely to do so. (Sorry for the cold facts my dear youth minister friends.)
To avoid rewriting a well written book (Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions by George Barna) I will get right to the point:
Ministries have kids for about 3 hours a week (if they are lucky). If a worldview is developed in ten years, ministries have about 1500 hours (comparably schools have over 10,000 hours in only eight years) to effectively develop a Biblical worldview. Subtract the impact that evolutionary and atheistic propaganda is sold at school, and ministries have a difficult time making a good impact. How do we combat that?
Partner with Parents
Here are some practical ways (and please feel free to comment with ways that you have seen productive in the past) that parents and ministries can partner together:
1. Churches can streamline their curriculum so that every ministry is focusing on the same topic. Send home discussion starters for families to talk about together.
2. Many new curriculums are offering dvds/cd roms or links to a website so that families can interact about Sunday school lessons during the week.
3. We can communicate about the progress students are making by setting "benchmarks" students should be achieving and hold a parent/teacher conference to keep parents informed on how they are doing.
4. Invite parents to sit in on classes and volunteer in their students' classes.
5. Offer resources to parents. Feature a "resource of the week" in the children's library.
6. Send home handouts about creative ways for parents to influence their child's worldview during the week.
7. Host a parenting seminar or class at your church.
8. Partner with parents in praying for the kids. Communicate with parents several times to a month to find out what is going in the children's lives outside of church.
9. Offer parents' nights out to strengthen their relationship while providing a program for the kids.
10. Host programs such as family nights--mother/daughter or father/son retreats, etc.
11. Have a family VBS.
12. Inform parents about the music and curriculum used in the ministry so parents can purchase it or supplement at home.
13. Find ways for parents to grow spiritually themselves.
14. Host "Bring your parent to church night" in which the kids do church their way and bring their parents along.
Keeping parents involved is tough work, but a ministry that includes parents is going to thrive and be much more successful than a ministry that is seen as glorified babysitting.
Please comment with more ideas!
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