I have decided to start a separate discussion area for ideas/thoughts on how to get parents to understand the importance of attending the Faith Mentors workshop. (Or in other words: how to get them to realize it's important for them to work on building faith with their kids.)

We do weekly emails to our families (using Churchpost.com). I write a "Bible notes" entry that goes into these weekly emails. It includes questions that the families can talk about at home that have to do with our current Rotation. (It helps that we are rotating with 3 year olds thru 6th grade). Every now and then I will throw into these Bible notes an admonition that they spend time talking with their families about faith. But it feels like it isn't working. It surprises me the families that will say that they are too busy for this stuff.

Your ideas on what to say would be appreciated as well as modes of communication to use.
--Carol

Awesome idea Carol.

We need to make our case rather than just launch "yet another emphasis" that we say is important. The survey data many of us have seen quoted in the newspapers and in various church resources says we have a credibility problem. The church doesn't enjoy the authority and credibility it once did. We need to engage parents and leaders with data as well as good ideas.

The Search Institute's now famous 1990 National Study on CE is a great place to start. It's downloadable now... from http://www.search-institute.org/congregations/ResearchReportsArticles.html

This report changed my thinking and emphasizes the importance of that spiritual mentor in the life of a young person.

Search also has a free 2003 report on Congregational Vitality and CE that should be on everyone's reading list. One of their findings states, "When asked about priorities for the future of the congregation, survey respondents emphasized developing the spiritual lives of children and youth, helping them feel like a valued part of the congregation, and developing intergenerational opportunities."

That sounds like a NEED waiting for a response!

Barna's "Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions" goes beyond the feel good books of the past that were based on opinions rather than research. www.barna.org

I haven't yet read his "Revolutionary Parenting" book, but look forward to it. Barna's MO is to start with actual survey/research...which I find refreshing.

Also want to mention Mark DeVries' book "Family Based Youth Ministry" (IVP). He has some research, insights, anecdotes and example of how youth ministry needs to move from peer centered ministry to mentoring (family/parent/mentor) centered emphasis. Challenging STUFF!
Neil

quote:

Originally posted by CreativeCarol:

We do weekly emails to our families (using Churchpost.com). I write a "Bible notes" entry that goes into these weekly emails. It includes questions that the families can talk about at home that have to do with our current Rotation. (It helps that we are rotating with 3 year olds thru 6th grade). But it feels like it isn't working. It surprises me the families that will say that they are too busy for this stuff.

Your ideas on what to say would be appreciated as well as modes of communication to use.
--Carol

Carol, I wanted to SPECIFICALLY address this part of your post: "It feels like it's not working."

From the hip:

1. A lot of stuff "feels like it's not working in the church. But don't throw that email baby out with the bathwater. Find the bathwater and throw IT out!

2. We're talking generational change. We have a generation of parents who's own parents didn't talk to them about this stuff. Gotta break that cycle. The race won't be to the swift on this one.

3. One of the reasons I like the idea of piggybacking this one-on-one faith mentoring workhop on the CURRENT workshops... is that we're bringing parents/mentors in to what we're ALREADY doing. It doesn't make "one more program on my calendar to get to." They're already there.

It's why I promote Devries' book (mentioned in previous post) on TRANSFORMING HOW we do youth ministry, rather than adding yet another layer of programming to our existing programs.

For ten years in my former church I was occasionally heard to say (among other things) "we need to be more efficient"... our "caring" capacity is out in front of our "carrying capacity." This is especially true in a small church which only has so many people to lead initiatives.

-------------
Your email idea is great. I like that churchpost.com service a lot. Great idea and not expensive. 24.3% of your parents will really appreciate it.
The other 75.7% weren't reading the takehome flyers and church newsletters anyway. So you're saving the environment by emailing. And saving money for better things rather than turning your money into trash.

<>< Neil

Carol,
We are trying to find ways for better communication, in our church and this sounds interesting. Have you eliminated your newsletter? Only send to those without email?
Lisa

Lisa:
Yes, we totally eliminated the sending of a paper newsletter. And no one missed it!
--Carol

Neil:
Would you say that Devries' book (ISBN-13: 978-0830832439) applies to children's ministry as well? (Since it appears to be about youth - as in teens.)
--Carol

YES...it would apply to children's ministry, in part, because it is easier to start a new emphasis with younger kids/families and have them grow into it.

regarding getting rid of the newsletter... are you talking about the ENTIRE church's printed newsletter? Or one that you send to people about Sunday School?

About our axing the newsletter... this was just the newsletter that families received. Our entire church's newsletter is called "The Messenger." So those of us on the inside called the church school newsletter the "Little Mess." Anyway, the Little Mess is no more!
--Carol

George Barna's Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions is also in DVD format -- he presents a two session (about 35 minutes each)program with a downloadable worksheet that can be filled in as he talks. I showed the DVD to our Children's ministry team over two meetings as we discussed the "State of our Children's MInistry" and talked about plans for the future. It was a helpful tool.

Jaymie

quote:

Originally posted by CreativeCarol:
It surprises me the families that will say that they are too busy for this stuff.

--Carol

I'm coming in a little late in this conversation, but I hope the discussion will continue. I imagine "busy-ness" is part of the equation, but have a feeling our personal comfort zones may be more of a key factor. How do we get parents to feel comfortable talking with their families about faith? I think experiencing faith discussion together as a family in the workshop rotation class is a good step. And perhaps the next "big step" for the WoRM. Of course, each church context will be different, but let's keep brainstorming on this one. I think it's important.

I like the drama concept, but wonder if something like art might be "safer" for families. Am thinking about this as I type, but one option that m ight work in our contect here is to have the last week of the workshop lesson be "art." That week everyone, parents included are invited to come together for one big class. Could even be we offer breakfast for the famileis that morning. Following the meal, we share the lesson via the art project, etc... Could even open this up for other "non-parent" adults in the congregation to get a taste of what we're doing. Just thinking...."out loud".

Valerie:
The modified art workshop sounds like a good idea. It could even be done as the regular art workshop - without adding all the work of a breakfast - though that may be a way to get the parents to show up

I think the question that you ask is key here

quote:

Originally posted by Valerie:
How do we get parents to feel comfortable talking with their families about faith?

That is what I'd like to see ideas on! It isn't enough to tell them that they should be doing it, or to show them research that says it's important that they do it That should work, right? But...

How do we go about (to use a bad example) teaching old dogs new tricks?
--Carol