Your March Resources Are Here!

During the month of March, while many in your life and ministry areas are distracted with leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, pots of gold, parades, wearing green, spring break plans, or drawing up the perfect NCAA basketball bracket, your M2P team thought it to be the perfect time to shine a bright spotlight on a topic that causes more distraction and is growing to be the root cause of more issues (both inside and outside the home) than almost any other—Screens. As children’s and youth ministry leaders, we know that there is a myriad of topics that need to be covered and conversations that need to be had as we seek to engage, equip, and encourage the families who fall under our span of care. However, there is no singular issue that feels more prevalent, pervasive, or poignant than that of how our kids and teenagers are learning to navigate the minefield of technology, screens, and social media. This ever-changing digital landscape in which parents are trying to raise their kids and teens can be complicated, frustrating, confusing, scary, and even incredibly dangerous. But one thing is certain: it’s not going away anytime soon. The constant innovation, proliferation, and saturation of technology in the lives of our kids and teenagers is just one more reason why we must do whatever we can to reach out a hand in an effort to better lead and equip parents to navigate this digital space. 

We have an incredible opportunity as ministry leaders to steer the conversation, lead, challenge, and equip the parents in our churches and communities to help their kids and teenagers develop healthy perspectives and boundaries around screens, technology, and social media. This month’s M2P resources were designed to help you, the leaders who serve alongside you, and the parents in your ministry step into this conversation concerning how we all interact with screens. This month’s Online Parenting Classes challenge parents to pay close attention to how their family is living in the digital world. There are decisions parents can make to lead their children in healthy directions, and the online class helps parents think through key questions that they need to answer. Our Coaching Videos will provide you and your team with some practical things you can do to equip and encourage parents to engage. This month’s Parent Toolbox Resource is a video for parents from our friend Brian Houseman from 360 Family, creator of Screen Smarts, and the author of Tech Savvy Parenting. This incredibly insightful video will give parents some great tips on how to deal with their kids and teens when it comes to phone use, social media, and creating a healthy digital culture in your home. If you like this video, you can get videos just like this sent automatically to your parents each and every week through Screen Smarts. So, be sure to check that out! We have some insightful blog articles for both you as a ministry leader and your team, as well as one specifically for the parents you lead. The articles for you will help you focus on a few things you can do to challenge parents in their family’s digital lifestyle. Episode 77 of the M2P Podcast features an in-depth conversation with Brian Housman, where we talk about the importance of helping our children develop a true identity in Christ in the midst of their digital journey. And as always, our social media posts will help you keep this conversation in front of parents and hopefully lead them into the conversations they need to be having at home. All of this is designed to support you as you lead and encourage parents and families in an important area of life!

Always here to help, 

The M2P Team