Your August Resources Are Here!
I don’t know about you, but it sometimes feels like an uphill battle when it comes to influencing our kids and teens today. As children’s and youth ministry leaders, we work hard to build fun and exciting programs and events in our churches that will entice them to join us. We spend time developing solid, biblical content that will help them learn about the one true God who loves them. Now, we all know that one of the most important things we can do is help our kids and teens build the relationships they need that will encourage them in their faith. The culture we live in is trying to push this generation away from knowing and following Jesus. Culture tries to push this generation to chase after fame, fortune, and pleasure. But what if we were able to surround the adolescents in our churches, homes, and communities with a “great cloud of witnesses” that will love and challenge them into a real-life of faith?
In talking about a “cloud of witnesses,” the book of Hebrews tells us that the purpose of having people in our lives who are speaking truth to us is so that we can “Run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV).” That’s exactly what we want for the parents, kids, and teens in our church. We want parents to be equipped to teach and model this at home. We want their kids and teenagers to learn how to run their race while focusing on Jesus, and they need help doing that. They need many voices speaking to them on behalf of God, helping them process what they are seeing, hearing, and learning along the way.
This month’s Coaching Videos encourage you to not only be one of the voices that kids and teens in your church can trust but also to help encourage parents to learn how to place the voices their own kids and teens need into their lives. Life moves fast, and helping our kids and teenagers build healthy adult relationships can be tough. However, we know that when they have role models that point them to Jesus, it makes a huge difference in their spiritual growth. As ministry leaders, we have the opportunity to develop other leaders and place them in the lives of the children and students we lead. This month’s coaching videos encourage you to do just that.
We have a great Parent Toolbox Resource from our friend Rich Griffith. Rich is a pastor, professor, author, and parent, and he has a passion for discipling the next generation. In the toolbox, you will find an article he wrote titled Ways to Disciple Your Children “As You Go” which gives parents some practical and insightful ideas on how to lead their children into a deeper faith in the midst of everyday life. Rich’s words meet parents where they are in the everyday hustle and bustle of life and provide everyday moments where parents can disciple their children. Rich also joins us on episode 82 of the M2P Podcast to talk about this idea and his book Voices: Helping Our Children and Youth Listen to Wise Counsel.
Our Online Parenting Classes encourage parents to pay attention to the voices that their kids and teens are listening to and help equip them to surround their children with the healthy role models they need. This month’s Blog Articles come alongside both you and the parents you serve to help you think through how you can help the kids and teens in your church learn how to listen to God through listening to the right voices around them. As always, we have Social Media Posts that will help you reinforce this concept to your parents.
We’re honored to partner with you!
The M2P Team
WHAT IS IT?
This month, pastor, professor, author, and parent Rich Griffith has provided a resource that will help parents think through practical ways they can best guide their children and teenagers along their spiritual journey. The article is titled Ways to Disciple Your Children “As You Go” and it gives some specific and practical ideas for how parents can disciple their kids and teens in their home, in their church, and in their community to better equip them for a life of faith. Oftentimes, parents can miss out on the everyday moments that God has already given them, and Rich’s insight helps parents begin to understand that this is something they can begin to slowly apply in their own lives. Much of what Rich focuses on comes from Deuteronomy 6 and its encouragement to make the things of God and the Word of God a part of our everyday lives.
HOW TO USE IT
- Download the article and post it on your website.
- Email parents a copy of the resource and encourage them to set aside some time to read it, process the questions, and even share it with other parents.
- Print copies of the resource for parents to grab at church.
- Consider ordering some copies of Rich’s book Voices: Helping Our Children and Youth Listen to Wise Counsel and have it available at your church.
This month, we are talking to you and your team about the importance of surrounding kids and teenagers with helpful and healthy voices that will encourage them in their spiritual journey and point them to a real and growing relationship with Jesus. As children and youth ministry leaders, we have the opportunity to be more than just someone who runs the programs at church; we are a real voice of hope to the families we get to lead. Our hope is that as we build relationships with kids and teens, they will be more likely to trust us and open up about the real issues they are facing in their lives. When that happens, we have earned the right to speak into their lives and help them process their life, thoughts, and faith. We can also work towards developing a strategy to train other influential people who will be speaking to our kids and teenagers. When parents see us (and our church) as allies in speaking truth to their own children, the relationships grow, and the ministry deepens.
To view, click HERE for youth and HERE for kids.
Here’s the truth: parents need help. Parents need help thinking and dreaming about where and how they might parent today, tomorrow, and in the years to come. More importantly, parents need reminders that they cannot do this alone. They need help from you and others. Parents need to welcome other influential voices into the lives of their kids and teens. Kids and teens are being shaped in so many ways, and parents need what Hebrews calls a “cloud of witnesses” around them as they grow up. These witnesses can have a tremendous influence on the spiritual growth of kids and teens and can model what it looks like to live a life of faith. In order for these voices to be active and present, parents need to do a few things themselves to surround their children with the people they need in their lives. This month’s videos give parents practical tips on how to place positive voices in the lives of their kids and teens and challenge parents to make choices today that will have an eternal impact.
To view, click HERE for youth and HERE for kids.
New blog posts coming this month:
- For Kids’ Ministry Leaders: “Soak Up God’s Word” by Amy Diller
- For Kids’ Ministry Parents: “Filter Out the Noise” by Amy Diller
- For Youth Ministry Leaders: “Who’s in Your Cloud?” by Chris Sasser
- For Youth Ministry Parents: “Embracing Identity Through Community” by Chris Sasser
To view, click HERE