Your September Resources Are Here!

You probably already know this, but it’s safe to say that we live in a very broken world. Can you feel it? Sure, there are several good things happening in the world around us, but if we look carefully, we can easily see the hurt and pain that the kids, teens, and parents we lead are dealing with regularly. As children’s and youth ministry leaders, you know that for the parents in your ministry, leading a family in today’s world is incredibly challenging. Parents can often find themselves overwhelmed or at a loss for words and ideas as they navigate the complexities of everyday life. They feel lost and uncertain, and sometimes they just don’t know what they are doing.

The odds are that families in your ministry are continually confronted with issues, thoughts, and situations that they are not ready or equipped to handle. Because of this, many parents feel inadequate in their parenting or unsure how to help their child or teen. Unfortunately, this creates an environment where parents pull back, avoid addressing the tough issues, and end up experiencing a different kind of pain as they move through the motions of family life.

As a children’s or youth ministry leader, you have the opportunity to play a unique and crucial role in the lives of families. They look to you for spiritual guidance and direction, and they certainly need you when life is hard. Your presence matters, and you have the opportunity to see families in the middle of their pain, to be with them in their struggles, to encourage them with your words, and to lift them up in prayer. The calling you have goes way beyond the logistics of leading a ministry. It’s much more than that. It’s about paying attention to and supporting families as they attempt to navigate the challenges of this broken world.

In this month’s Coaching Videos, we challenge you to look at the ministry you are leading through the lens of people and not through the lens of programs or events. Sure, we all know that people are the ministry, but when it comes to stepping into the pain and struggle that the parents and families we serve are feeling, it’s easy to want to shy away. As ministry leaders, we’re often so busy planning and producing that we can unknowingly or easily walk right past the hurt that exists all around us. In this month’s coaching videos, we encourage you to enter into the difficult situations your families are navigating and offer a few practical things you can do to help parents who are hurting in your ministry.

This month’s Parent Toolbox Resource is from Carrie Bevell Partridge and is called When Parenting Hurts: A Resource for Moms and Dads. It provides parents with a list of things to do when parenting hurts and a list of things for parents to remember as they encounter the inevitable pain and difficulty of family life. It’s full of practical ideas and advice for those hard seasons, and it points parents back to the Bible, encouraging them to lean into their relationship with God as they navigate the difficult situations, emotions, and circumstances of parenting.

Our Online Parenting Classes feature special guest Carrie Bevell Partridge. Carrie is a wife, mom, author, and all-around encourager. Carrie and her husband, Kevin, have walked a unique and challenging family journey, facing pain and struggle while maintaining resilience and faith. In our classes, Carrie shares invaluable tips and encouragement for parents who find themselves feeling overwhelmed, and she points us all to the hope we can find in Jesus as we journey through family life. Carrie also joins us on Episode 083 of the M2P Podcast where she shares more of her story. Of course, Sass, Kerry, and Amy share some personal stories of their own and offer some insight for both ministry leaders and parents.

This month’s Blog Articles offer even more ideas and perspectives on how parents and church leaders can work through difficult situations and circumstances in healthy ways. There are some practical things we can do as ministry leaders to move forward in the midst of struggle, and these articles will help give some direction in that area and point to different Bible passages that can sustain us along the way. Finally, we have Social Media Posts that will encourage parents and help them look to Jesus for their strength and guidance.

Our hope is that the resources we provide for parents in your church and the coaching and encouragement we offer you as a leader will help you build the culture and ministry God has called you to lead. We’re honored to serve with you. Let us know what we can do to help!

The M2P Team