Partnering With Your Church

Partnering with Your Church

We believe that God has called both the church and home to raise up the next generations to know, honor, and treasure God through Jesus Christ. This is accomplished through a strategic, loving partnership between the church and home.

This partnership affirms that parents by proximity, opportunity, and God’s design, bear a unique responsibility for nurturing their children’s faith (see Deuteronomy 6:4-7).

This partnership also affirms the role and responsibility of church leadership to provide encouragement and training for parents, and also to provide formal instruction for children and youth. Therefore, it is important for parents to consider how they can enrich their partnership with their local church.

Seven Ways Parents can Partner with Their Church

1. Become Familiar with the Children's and Youth Vision and Philosophy of Your Church

Church leaders are greatly encouraged when parents express an eagerness to learn more about the vision, philosophy, and instruction being implemented in the classrooms, programs, and other related activities. If your church has not yet communicated this vision and philosophy to parents, prayerfully and humbly consider how you might bring this to the attention of the leadership.

2. Offer to Serve the Church in Discipling Children and Youth

Many churches find it difficult to adequately staff their children’s and youth ministries. Many challenges in the classroom experience relate to understaffed classrooms and/or overwhelmed volunteers. Seriously consider how you might use your gifts and abilities to further the discipleship of children and youth in your church. Teaching, organizational oversight, small group leading, preparing visuals, leading worship… all are valuable for implementing a spiritually enriching ministry.

3. Prioritize Family Participation in the Life of the Church

One of the most important ways that parents can partner with the church for the faith of the next generation is to make it a high priority for the family to participate in the regular life and rhythms of the church, especially the corporate worship service. When parents do this, they are teaching and training children that the Christian life is to be lived in community with God’s people. As members together, we have both responsibilities and privileges. Living out the “one another commands” within the greater family of God should be the normal and regular habit of every Christian family. At a minimum, families should prioritize worshiping together in the weekly service. This may feel daunting to some parents but here are some resources to assist you:

4. Partner with Your Children's Ministry Teams

Your children will be best served when parents and church are joyfully working together. Toward that end, there are some very simple and practical ways in which parents can strengthen the relationship with their child’s ministry team. For example:

  • Before Sunday school (or other events) pray with your child—for their own demeanor and edification, and also for the teachers, volunteers, and other students.
  • Ask the teacher if there are specific ways you can pray for the class from week to week.
  • Share appropriate concerns you have about your child’s spiritual condition, temperament (e.g., shy, energetic, not comfortable in front of a group, etc), and any behavioral issues with teachers.
  • Inquire if there are any needs in the classroom that you could help with.
  • Bring your child to class on time. If needed, make sure to take them to the restroom, have a snack, or get a drink of water before class.
  • Make sure your child is prepared for class: Bible in hand, verses memorized, etc.
  • Have realistic expectations regarding the classroom and volunteers.
  • If you have any problems with the class, teacher, etc., pursue a biblically appropriate way to address those issues outside of class.
  • Let your child’s Sunday school team know you are grateful to God for them and appreciate their ministry.

5. Use the Truth78 GIFT Pages to Disciple Your Children

One very strategic way parents can partner with the church and take primary responsibility for their child’s discipleship is by using the curricula-specific Growing in Faith Together: Parent and Children Resource Pages (GIFT Pages). These pages provide parents with a tool that will assist them in taking the biblical truths learned during the classroom time and then guiding their children to personal application. Parents have the greatest opportunity for “teachable moments,” situations that arise in everyday life, that can be opportunities to apply the truth of God. Real heart application of biblical truth, which changes lives, usually takes place in the context of relationship and everyday life.

GIFT pages provide parents with the following:

  • Lesson title, main ideas, selected memory verse, and a list of Scripture presented in the lesson.
  • A brief summary of the lesson.
  • As You Walk By the Way: questions to further spiritual discussion and heart application.
  • Action Step: suggestions for acting on biblical truth.

Download GIFT Pages Sample (PDF)

6. Encourage, Support, and Pray for Your Leadership

Youth and children’s pastors and ministers have a difficult job as they try to navigate the goals and needs of the wider church as well as the goals and needs of parents and their children. Commit to praying for them and remember to communicate thankfulness for their ministry. If you have concerns or disagreements with the leadership, be sure to address the issues in a biblical manner. Start by addressing the leader(s) personally at a mutually appointed time.

7. Use and Recommend Discipleship Resources for the Home

There are many excellent resources available for parents to help them disciple their children. Parents can serve the larger church by alerting church leadership to specific parenting resources. Upon review, the leadership may choose to recommend these to the wider church body.

Here are some family and parenting resources we highly recommend:

Truth78 Parenting Resources

Truth78 Recommended Parenting Books