Your June Resources Are Here!

As a children’s ministry or a youth ministry leader in 2024, the one area in which you are not lacking is somebody offering you an opinion on how to grow your ministry area or a tool to do “it” better. No matter your church’s size, location, or the amount of influence it wields in your community, there are literally hundreds of companies, non-profits, para-church organizations, conferences, podcasts, Christian social media influencers, and large “successful” ministries out there who are trying to tell you exactly what you need to do to grow more, reach more, or look more like them. Hundreds of emails, videos, and expensive marketing campaigns are coming at you every day to pitch the next “must have” mission statement, vision, value system, or strategy for where your ministry needs to go. When did “the main thing” stop being the main thing? When did discipleship become so complicated? Slick and beautifully produced missions, visions, values, and strategies have their place. Many of them are even well-intentioned. But I think we can all likely agree that at the core of everything we do is a desire to help kids and teenagers learn how to become disciples of Jesus.

Obviously, there are as many approaches TO discipleship as there are ministry contexts FOR discipleship, but ultimately, we have learned (maybe the hard way) that the Church trying to disciple kids and teens in a silo isn’t conducive to long-term spiritual growth and maturity. The facts are the facts. How many more findings from research studies do we need before we acknowledge and act on the knowledge that parents are the single greatest influencers in the faith development of a kid or teenager? Equipping and encouraging parents to lean into their God-given role as lead discipler and partnering with them along the journey is no easy task, but it’s what we are called to do.

In order to grow their kids and teens as disciples, parents need to develop a culture of discipleship in their homes. However, the simple truth of the matter is that a lot of parents are intimidated by the notion of being the primary spiritual leaders for their kids and teenagers. As ministry leaders, we have the opportunity to encourage them to embrace their role, and we can paint a picture of discipleship at home that is actually attainable. That’s why the focus of this month’s M2P resources is to help you and the parents in your church develop a bit of a different picture of what it means to disciple kids and teens.

This month’s Coaching Videos will give you some ideas and language to use as you and your volunteer teams are leading the parents in your church. It will also challenge you and get you thinking about how you are growing as a disciple yourself. We also have a great Parent Toolbox Resource for you to share with parents. It’s a downloadable chapter from  First-Century Youth Ministry: A Look Back For The Way Forward In Youth Ministry Discipleship by Heather Quiroz. Don’t be fooled by the title; this Toolbox Resource will provide parents of teenagers and kids alike with a lot to chew on when it comes to how we think about discipleship, and it also offers some steps we can take to reclaim some of the ancient practices Jesus used with His disciples that would serve us well. Be sure to also check out our in-depth conversation with Heather on the M2P Podcast. Our Online Parenting Classes will take the conversation on discipleship to parents and ask them to think about how they are leading their family in the faith. Parents are usually pretty good at helping their children learn how to navigate the world, but they might need to place a bigger focus on faith formation along the way. And don’t forget that we always provide you with some insightful Blog Articles and Social Media Posts for you to utilize with your ministry leaders and parents in your church.

Remember, parents and ministry leaders don’t have to have all the answers or be professors of theology. We simply need to be authentically walking with Jesus and invite our kids and teens to do the same. That’s what discipleship looks like.

We’re thankful to be walking with you as you walk with the families in your church. Don’t forget we’re always here to help.

The M2P Team