There are a lot of things you want parents to know about your youth ministry—this narrows it down to 10 keys things they need to know about what matters most in youth ministry…
10—When/Where/How Much? For anything that might be going on with the youth group, it’s best to ask your students to make sure they know. We pass out fliers, send out emails, texts, and so on, and we know very little gets retained or gets to you—so ask to make sure they know. If all else fails, call or email me or one of the leaders.
9—We are not here to simply entertain your youth. Yes we will do some wild, crazy, and absolutely ridiculous things with them—but our primary goal is to provide multiple opportunities where they can be influenced by God.
8—Parents are the primary influence in student’s lives. As you know, We are an influence, not the influence. We’re only directly involved in your sons’/daughters’ lives for five years; you’re directly involved for a lifetime. You have the greater authority and responsibility. Thus, we want to assist you, bless you, encourage you, and share in the journey with you.
7—Family over youth group. Your lives can get busy, and we don’t want to steal your students away from your free time or distract them from what matters in the family at home. We want to join you in the effort to make this clear to the youth.
6—Verify anything your teenager tells you. Sometimes students can exaggerate or edit things on their own terms. If you hear something that sounds appalling or troubling, always call us and verify the story. (For example, “One of the Youth Leaders was beating me up,” when in fact all 15 guys were having a wrestling match in the Youth Hall.)
5—We want to listen. We do not want to put up walls of pride, self-defense, excuses, and justifications. We want honest communication with you parents so it’s always a teamwork effort, not a Kung Fu Fighting Match. So share with us, please!
4—Building the youth group is an unhurried, relational process. It takes a few years to build consistency, trust, communication, and individual growth. We don’t want any youth left behind, ignored, or put off to the side. So understand this so that no hurried expectations get in the way.
3—Praise and worship is a key element in this ministry. We would love to see your students developing and using their skills in this arena. Encourage your teenager both to attend and be involved.
2—Breaking the routine: the rut. One of the best ways to burst into the worldview and mindset of the youth is to drag them away from their routines, their patterns.Removing them from suburbia, their comfortable contexts, their luxuries—all these help remove barriers to the Spirit of God.
1—Take the Lord seriously. He is more interested in you and your children than you are. Open yourself to the strength he provides in Jesus Christ.