is your ministry friendly to parents? (part 2)

Today, we are continuing our conversation about a youth ministry that's friendly to families:

4. FINISH YOUR PROGRAMS ON TIME
If your small group or Bible study is scheduled to end at 9pm, try to be done at 8:55pm. You are friendly to families when they don’t have to wait around in the car and waste time. We heard some youth workers say, "We had to end late, the Spirit was really moving." We have two responses to this.

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teaching series by Doug Fields and Josh Griffin from the BEATTITUDES
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...| Doug's response: the great things that happened have the potential to be "undone" by an angry parent. Consider very carefully before keeping parents’ waiting. Once once in a while it isn’t a big deal, but don’t make a habit out of it.

...| Matt's response: Oh really? Are you telling me the Holy Spirit can't keep working if you end your meeting on time? Or that he can't work when you call that student the next day? Or when you meet next week? Surely the Spirit wouldn't move in such a way where teenagers couldn't honor their parents.

This principle also applies when returning home from camps/retreats/events: you don't wan't parents sitting in the parking lot for a hour while you're driving down the mountain. Take your planned arrival time and add an 30 minutes or so or update a church answering machine with your estimated time of arrival. If the teenagers have to wait to be picked up, they can help you clean up.

5. PLAY THE PRICE IS RIGHT
It's expensive to run a family! When you build budgets for your youth ministry events, be sensitive to how the cost impacts your families--especially families with multiple kids. For a family with three kids, a summer filled with church programs can so expensive that their kids can’t be involved. Think through ways to design a powerful event that doesn't require your parents pay a king's ransom.
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teaching series by Doug Fields and Josh Griffin from the BEATTITUDES
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6. INCLUDE THEM IN THE BIBLE TEACHING
Let your parents know what you're talking/teaching about. Keeping them in the loop raises your credibility and it empowers the parents to talk to their kids about what they are learning at church. Provide a few simple discussion questions so the Christian education can make its way into the home (where it ultimately belongs). Consider making this a regular habit, as a little extra work can go a long way with your families.

What's something you did--or wish you did--that expresses the value of a family friendly ministry?