The Big Day Out Express is our regular online training event for those who lead children’s ministry in their church. In our May BDO Express we focussed on ‘Partnering with Parents’. But why does this partnership matter? Why can’t kids leaders just deal with what happens in church groups and leave parents to disciple their children at home?
There seem to be so many obstacles to parent-partnership: “Surely they won’t be interested”, “I’m not a parent, so I have nothing to say to them”, “I don’t want to interfere”, “It’s not really my job”, “I’d love to do it but I don’t know how.”
1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” Being a Christian is about identity. Each of us – kids’ leaders, parents and children alike – is a child of God because God has made it so. It’s not something we’re working towards, or struggling to maintain. It’s been given to us.
That means that we are all family. Children of God are brothers and sisters to one another. Being a parent is all about preparing for the day when we will stand next to our child as their brother or sister, face to face with Jesus. Being a kid’s leader in a church is all about preparing for the day when we will stand next to those children as their brother or sister, face to face with Jesus. Whether we’re a children’s leader or a parent, we have the same goal. When we remember this, why wouldn’t we want to work together?
In our next two blog posts we’ll look at some practical ways of working together with parents. But for now, rather than being intimidated by them or thinking that we don’t need each other, let’s ask God to help us to see the parents in our church as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
You can watch the full recording of the BDO Express here
