If I asked you to name 10 families in your church, could you do it?
What about if I asked you where they work?
What their kids’ names & grades are?
What do they like to do for fun?
This isn’t a test – but it should cause you to pause and ask yourself –
How well do I know the families God has given me to serve?
While you’re thinking about it, let’s backtrack for a quick second.
In the last post here on the blog, I told you that I believe partnering with families is the most important thing you can do in this season.
Partnering with parents and letting them know you’re in their corner – and want to join with them in equipping their families for faith – is incredibly important.
Before we can ever start to do that though – we need to know the families we are partnering with.
When you know the families you serve, you will:
- Be able to truly partner with them – not just “throw resources” their way
- Understand what families are interested in – and learn more about those interests
- Know what their unique wants & needs are when it comes to discipleship
- Understand their schedules & what tools for discipleship fit into it
- Pray for them specifically & powerfully
Knowing families matters.
When families know
… that you are truly interested in them
… that you truly care
… that you are actually invested in them
… that they matter to you
You will be able to partner with them so much more meaningfully.
They will listen to what you have to say – and what you have to say will be more meaningful – because you know them and know what they’re saying.
So, how do you do it?
How do you get to know families?
Whether you have 10, 40 or 100 families in your church, I believe there are simple and effective ways you can get to know them – and you can start today:
- The next time you see parents – on Sunday or midweek – take an opportunity to talk to them! At check-in or drop-off, take a minute to say “Hi!” to parents & ask them one intentional question – like “How was your week?” or “What are you doing tonight while the kids are here?” or “Where do you work again?”
- Have an “open office” hour for one day a month or one hour a week. Brew a pot of coffee, pick up some baked goods, and invite paretns to drop by – with no agenda! Just let them drop by & say Hi!
- Send home a Family File (like the one in this Family Ministry Toolbox) and ask families to fill it out – with a family photo too! Keep the files in your office, and read through a few a week. If you have a ton of families, assign some to your volunteers too! Get to know the details of their lives.
- If you’re part of a smaller church, get to know some of the favourite treats (or coffee orders!) of kids and parents. On special occasions – like birthdays or the first day of school – or even for no reason at all, drop off the treats with a note and a smile.
- Schedule a time to phone or text 3-4 parents a day. Set aside 20 minutes in your morning to text or call and check in – a simple “How are you doing?” or “How can I pray for you?” You would be SHOCKED at how impactful this can be for parents!
- Ask every family in your church to complete this Family Ministry Survey. This can help you get to know them in a deeper way – including their needs & wants for ministry and discipleship.
Getting to know families doesn’t have to be complicated – just simple and intentional.
It’s a great first step in partnering with families on their journey to lifelong faith!
On Friday in our e-mail list, I’ll be sharing a snippet of our Family Survey with you. If you don’t subscribe yet – don’t miss it: