How to Lose Support of Parents

If you don’t get anything else out of this post, get this: 

Young People’s Ministry is about caring for

 the students AND their parents.

In Young People’s Ministry we have been entrusted for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of not only the student but their family and parents as well. We don’t always get it right. Below are 3 common places where Young People’s Ministry staff and volunteers miss the mark when it comes to the ministering of parents.

We Don’t Let Them Know What Is Happening in the Ministry-Young People’s Ministry can be one of the best-kept secrets in the church! How cool would it be if parents knew the lessons ahead of time and could have the opportunity to discuss it before they left for group? Or at least have some tools on the back burner to help them discuss at home what they learned at church. Too often we move from lesson to lesson and program to program without even the most basic communication to parents.

We Don’t Return Phone Calls-It doesn’t matter what type of communication you prefer. For many parents-hearing a voice over the phone is far and away the best message. When you don’t return a phone call it subtracts equity from your ministry. It doesn’t take long before you are overdrawn. If you aren’t a phone person… Who cares? You need to become one because a phone call is the love language of most parents these days.

We Keep the Spiritual Growth of Their Child a Mystery-As we care for their children, we need to keep parents in the loop of what is going on with their child emotionally and spiritually. A lot of youth and young adult workers want to gain the trust of the students they work with and so they make promises that they want discuss issues with parents. While I can understand the want to be “liked“ by the students, your first responsibility is for the care of your students. You only see your students for a fraction of the time… The parents spend far more time with them. Keeping them in the loop of how and what is going on with their child will en-dear you to them and will let them know that you truly care about their child.

There are many other ways to alienate parents. What are some of the ways you might add?