Have you ever seen an advertisement for a product that seemed to grossly misrepresent what you actually received? You know what I mean. Picture the last advertisement you saw for the brand-new burger from the fast food restaurant up the street. Everything stacked up perfectly, the cheese is melted just right, the bacon is crispy but not burned and the lettuce and tomato look as if they were just picked from the fresh garden. It makes your mouth water until you unwrap the burger to find out that it is nothing like what they advertised. Great, what now?
In this situation, the answer to ‘what now?’ might just be a hard reminder that Chick-Fil-A is the only fast-food worth stopping for.
Maybe as a leader, you are asking, ‘What Now?’
Your team has already rolled out all the creative new strategies you developed months ago. You may be seeing stagnated participation, or even a decline. Morale is down. You, along with myself and just about everyone else are ready to be on the other side of this season of social distancing, masks and arrows on the ground telling you what direction to walk.
To top all of it off, fall is arriving quickly. Back to school season is here. Parents, teachers, administrators and city and county leadership are all under massive pressure to try to fit a square peg into a round hole. There are no solutions for this fall that are a perfect fit for everyone.
What Now?
“When you’re on a detour, the temptation is to hurry back to the familiar route. As this crisis continues to lead you down detours, take advantage of it. As you take new territory, you will gain fresh perspective that will help prepare you for the future.”
John Maxwell
When was the last time you measured what your organization/team is advertising against what is actually being served?
For those of you who lead a kid’s ministry or student ministry team, now is the perfect time to think about your answer to that question. In fact, let’s dial down a little bit further. Is partnering with parent’s part of what you advertise for your ministry program? For many churches and family ministry teams, it is. It is also, for some churches and teams, one area where what is being served-up is less-than-desirable. (Let’s just say there is no time better than now to accelerate growth.)
I recently heard one ministry leader answered the question ‘What is one thing you wish you would have done better when you were leading the family ministry team?’ with, ‘I wish I could go back and do a better job of really partnering with parents.’
Perhaps you offer resources, support, milestone events, etc. that truly have been equipping and empowering parents, pre covid-19. Have you been able to pivot that support to meet the unique needs of parents in 2020?
In light of this season and the detour our nation is on, how can we prepare to equip, empower and partner with parents this fall?
If you are asking What Now? And you know that partnering with families is one part of the detour you can take advantage of, here are 6 creative ideas to get you started.
1. Resource Parents
For many parents, the thought of once again becoming the facilitator of their child’s learning, or for some, even the full-time teacher is overwhelming. Parents are trying to make the wise choice for their children, but that does not mean it is the easy choice.
What resources can you create or provide that will help equip parents? The ‘phase guide summaries’ created by Orange, are one of my favorite resources. (You can find them HERE.) They give a quick snapshot into each of the different phases/ages. If you can provide a glimpse for parents of some of the development things that classroom teachers already know, you are helping them get ahead on managing their at home learning environment. (These are an AMAZING resource that I recommend to any family ministry leader or parent. They are researched based and help explain some of the most common changes, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually that happen at each age.)
There is also a section on my website (HERE) with parenting articles and resources that you can share.
2. Offer Elective Courses for Virtual Learners & Homeschoolers
Do you have access to a parking lot, or local park? If so, the utilize some of the talented adults in your organization to offer one-time, or even weekly elective classes. An obstacle is easy to pull off. Set it up outside, provide parents with a 1-2 hour timeframe to show up and let the kids run through the course. Finishers get an ice pop to cool down before they head out.
PE courses can include anything from track, yoga, organized sports, or a workout. If you ask around, you will find adults with other skills and interests that could be used to support at-home learning in this season. (Dance, cheerleading, martial arts, painting, music, STEM projects, just to name a few.)
3. Provide Childcare
Create space and supervision for digital learners whose parent(s) have to work outside the home. For some families, including single parent homes they have limited options right now. In order to have their child learning from home, they either quit their job, or find someone to stay with their child during the workday. Can your team show up? A clean space, WIFI (for the device they use for school), a pre-packaged snack and some adult supervision could mean the world of difference for some of your families.
4. Monthly Family Programming
As weekend services and now school are ‘re-defined’ for kids and families this fall, the need to ‘connect’ is more prevalent than ever. How can you create an on-going, monthly ministry opportunity for families, that allows them to feel connected, while still following all safety precautions and guidelines? Some churches are offering outside ministry nights. All it takes is a stage and sound system offering a family style worship set and an engaging, live story, game, or skit. Others are doing things like outdoor movies, drive-throughs with fun activity stations, serving opportunities, or even scavenger hunts throughout the city.
While I’m thinking of it, let me just drop this reminder right here…
Parents are feeling concerned about sending kids back to school. On a recent survey, one of the counties in my area reported that only 37% of parents voted to send their kids back to face-to-face school. (21% were still unsure and unable to make a choice at the time of the survey.)
If your team is providing LESS in the way of safety measures and precautions than your local public school, you can be certain you will see LESS families show up on your campus.
5. Lunch Break
Hula-hoops, air conditioning and some willing volunteers are all it would take to offer parents a one-hour break in the middle of the day. All mom or dad have to do, is drop off their child(ren) with a pre-packed lunch box. You provide them with a hula hoop to sit inside and let them sit (6ft apart) and enjoy lunch together. Mom or dad can nap in the car, make phone calls, grab a bite to eat (along with some mental stability), or run a quick errand.
6. Co-Op Sign Up
There are many families who will begin this school year with virtual learning. Could you create an online database for families to connect with others in similiar learning situations? Parents can answer some general questions; kids names, grade level, county, location, learning style, etc. After they enter their information, they can look for other families that they can partner with.
The possibilities are endless when you offer a way for families to connect and support each other. Having a few elementary students completing virtual school at the same house allows for connection in a safe way. This is a need that many students and families will have in this season. (This database could also provide a solution for that single parent or working parent who needs help supervising their child during the day.
With some creativity, and innovation you can support families in this season, like never before. Coming alongside them at their point of need will show Jesus’ love in a way they will never forget. Not to mention, the mental and emotional health that will be fostered for them and their kids through any one of these ideas.
As always, please check with your local authorities and health departments to ensure that you are following all guidelines and regulations for your county.
I’m excited to see all the creative ways that churches will partner with and serve families in this season. What could it do for families in the future, if we serve up NOW, even more than what they expect from their local church? I am praying that this detour will point your community to Jesus in ways you never could have before.
“It’s not families that reinforce the church, but the church that reinforces family.”
-Reggie Joiner