How Youth Pastors Can Move Parents From Bystanders to Supporters

The useful part

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? Nobody wants to see parents being out of the loop, or worse, uncaring about their own kids.

How it works

• More than likely, their student is playing the game or involved in the show.
• By showing their parents that you actually care about how they are doing, you show them you care about their family as a whole.
• 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!
• 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...
• Connecting with parents and asking great questions will help you garner support for your ministry just because you show up for them!

What to take from it

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. When you're at a student's event, make sure you spend some time talking with the parents. If you do this just once a month, I promise you'll find parent support growing over time!

Example or evidence

• Bonus points with your senior pastor or boss when they ask you why you want to implement this new change.
• Ronald Ronald Long has been a youth pastor for 16 years and loves watching students grow in their faith.
• He's made several student ministry resources, written a few books, and loves training and coaching youth pastors to be the healthiest they can be so they can impact students for Jesus for the long haul!

Details worth keeping

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. This gives you a great chance to talk to their parents. Tell them you just want to catch up and get to know them better.

Related coverage

• Rootedministry: The younger generations are hungry for a place to belong, and that is what the gospel gives us through the local church.
• Rootedministry: If we as youth leaders want this message of the gospel to reach as many students as possible, we need others in the church, in particular the leaders, as allies in this work.
• Southwalesargus: This is how Monmouthshire County Council can help support local youth clubs.