Keeping it Simple: Why Partnering with Parents Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

When I first started in children’s ministry, I wanted to partner with parents in a meaningful way.

But I made it way too complicated.

In my eagerness to share knowledge and resources, I shared loads of links, ideas, take-home sheets, and training opportunities.

They were all great resources – but it was just too much.

When I became a parent, I realized that while discipling my family was a core value, it didn’t come easily.

Many of the resources I had recommended in the past were too complicated, too time-consuming & didn’t fit for our family.

And that’s how I learned one of the most important lessons of my ministry –

When it comes to partnering with parents, we need to keep it simple.

One of the core values of who we are and what we do here at Equip Family is to provide families & leaders with resources that are easy-to-use.

We understand that families are busy.

Life is complicated.

Schedules are crazy.

And families (and those who lead them!) need resources for discipleship that are straightforward and simple.

Easy to use doesn’t mean “watered down” and insignificant though.

Simplifying discipleship doesn’t mean we take away its significance.

Instead, we focus only on what’s significant – making it straight-forward, to the point, and accessible for families in the world they live in.

We don’t try to create resources for the world we wish parents lived in – but the one they actually inhabit.

And that means keeping it simple.

So how do we do that? How do we partner with parents in simple, straightforward ways? Here are some ideas:

• I know we’ve talked about it before, but it bears repeating. The Family Guide to Abide is one of my favourite resources and ways to introduce this “simple way” of discipleship to families. Instead of providing them with another task to do, it helps families figure out how to ABIDE in Jesus and incorporate faith into daily life.
  
• Meet families where they are! If your families are very sports-minded, consider how you can incorporate that into your discipleship journey. If they’re driving a lot, consider providing simple resources and questions for them to talk about in the car. If you have tons of preschoolers, share age-appropriate resources.
  
• If you’re sharing devotional resources, make them accessible and simple for them to use. I love the format of our Camping With God devotional – it’s interactive, can be used in a few minutes, and still creates spiritual conversations for families.
  
• Help families build rituals around their existing routines! I love this resource from my friend Christie Thomas about building simple habits and this What’s for Dinner? kit from my friend Dema.
  
• Link discipleship at church and home in a meaningful way. Don’t create all kinds of “extras” – make them connect! Our brand new resource “Ask Me a Question” includes 10 different questions for younger kids & older kids meant to help families lead in discussions about home – without over complicating things. Your families will love it!
  

This Friday, we’ll be sharing a Take-Home Template that you will LOVE – and our e-mail friends will get a chance to win one of my favourite at-home discipleship resources from my friend, Dema! You wont’ want to miss it!