I’ll be updating this post along the way! Come back and check out my notes after each breakout and session at this year’s D6 Family Ministry Conference.
Volunteer Retention 101 with Rachel Price
Vision – The why
Why are we here? What is the vision?
How does serving on this team contribute to the vision?
Opportunity vs. obligation.
*Survey the team, know what attracts them and keeps them.
Organization – Not optional
Put them in a position to win.
Make it easy to serve.
Communicate their time is valuable.
Communicates you care.
Leadership
Personally – lead them personally before you leverage them organizationally. Keep a pulse on your team.
Be there for them more than they are there for you. Actually care for them.
Spiritually – Invest in their spatial growth.
Organizationally – Jesus leadership model: 1, 3, 12, 72. Your team is a reflection of your leadership.
Useful
Useful vs Used
No one wants to be a seat warmer.
Are they there because they have a pulse or because they have a purpose? Do they know their purpose?
Be a delegator not a dumper.
Authority develops our leaders.
No
Don’t be afraid to say no, for yourself or for your team.
Taking rest is key to avoiding burnout.
Even God rested at creation. If God needed rest, how much more do we need it?
Schedule on your calendar time to do nothing. This keeps your priority.
Talent
Match the task to the talent
Right people in the right seat on the bus
Identify high-capacity leaders and challenge them.
Staff your weaknesses – let others’ talents shine where you are lacking. Moses and Aaron.
Identify your high capacity leaders, put their talents to good use in higher positions.
Empowerment
Empower and equip your team
Make decisions at the most efficient level.
Empower them to lead within parameter.
With empowerment comes accountability.
Make the decisions that only you can make. Train them to think the way you want them to think.
Luke 12:48
Encouragement
Show gratitude
Thank you in person every time they serve. Sincere and intentional, not just drive by.
Card in the mail.
Candy bar. Empowering team members to give out gifts.
Reminder: You are making a difference.
Relationship
Relationship with your team, with the kids, and with the families.
As You Go…
Talk to your team
What’s working? What’s not working? What can we do differently?
Do an exit interview when someone steps down. Ask why.
Constantly Evaluate
General Session 1
Tim Elmore
Becoming Life-Giving Educators for Generation Z
Book: Generation Z Unfiltered
High Empowerment vs. High Entitlement
These teens are pictures of the spectrum of Generation Z
“Affluenza” is a social condition that arises from the desire to be more wealthy or successful. It can also be defined as the inability for an individual to understand the consequences of their actions because of their social status and/or financial privilege.
Greatest Question for today’s students.
Will they win or lose the battle for mental health?
Average teenager today experiences the same drama as students in the 60’s in a mental ward.
Will the pandemic produce distress or growth 82% of GenZ have experienced at least one traumatizing experience.
What narrative will they carry with them?
Who, are these new kids on the block?
Five generations coming of age: Builders, Boomers, Busters, Millennials, Homelanders
Coping and Hoping
1 Chronicles 12:32a – “From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”
What are the shifts going on as the millennials give way to Gen Z?
- Confidence is morphing into cation.
- Spending money is morphing into saving money.
- Attacking an education is morphing into hacking one.
- Idealism is morphing into pragmatism.
- Consuming media is morphing into creating media.
- Viral posts are morphing into vanishing posts.
- Feeling special is morphing into feeling savvy.
- Text messages are morphing into iconic messages.
- Anticipation is morphing into anxiety.
In the fall of 2020, the CDC reported that 1 in 4 young adults contemplated suicide in the last month. Lead with empathy!
Music is always a reflection of culture. gnash “pajamas” – 2019 song prophetic of the pandemic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkPMM3OEJv0
Can we be thankful we got through a hard time? The narrative has changed for students.
Helping Gen Z PROVE They Can Learn
Problem: Start with a problem not a curriculum. They learn just in time, not just in case. the Bible is the answer but let’s create the dilemma the Bible can solve. Give them a problem that engages them.
Relationships: They are craving real relationships. Primary looking to the older generations not institutions. Earn the right to be heard.
Ownership: Prescriptive not descriptive. Let your kids own the problem. Project based learning where you said, “What do you think?” What goal do you want to reach?
Visuals: Do a series that is all image based. Jesus was parable based. Story images that teach a lesson.
Experiences: They aren’t looking for a sage on the stage with a sermon, they are looking for a guide on the side with an experience.
SWe have an expectations problem.
66% of today’s adults report a negative rather than a positive emotion when they think about the future of Gen Z. How do you think these feelings impact them? How about believing in them?
65% of today’s adits believe that Generation Z will not be ready for adulthood when they reach it.
Habitude Quarterbacks and Referees.
Referees enforce rules, call fouls and watch boundaries.
Quarterbacks provide direction, inspire and deploy their team.
Fight the impulse to slip into a referee mindset. Be quarterbacks.
On the scandals on college admissions: Worst part of the whole experience, when I stood in my kitchen and my high school daughter looked at her and asked, “Why didn’t you believe in me.” May that never be asked of me or you again.
Dr. @TimElmore #D62021
Valerie Bell
Think about your mom for a minute. Mom-ism’s
Walk, don’t __
Look both ways before you cross the __.
Color inside the __.
Mothers were abundantly protective of us.
Protection says get in the back seat and fasten your seatbelt. Preparation says, get behind the wheel and learn to drive because you’re going to need that for your life.
Drowning is a risk, so get in the pool with me and learn to swim.
In one year…
Opioid deaths are up by 21%
Screen addiction has risen dramatically.
Anxiety disorders have tippled.
Depression has quadrupled.
Go through the grid of preparation not precaution. It’s time to raise up the greatest and most resilient generation regardless of what life throws at them. Who were trained to face hardship. A generation like we’ve never seen before.
It’s not about fun programing and beautiful decorations but having a relationship with God for life.
The world is more needy today than it’s ever been. Many people are damaged by this last year.
When you are hurt, when you are damaged, when you are afraid, going golfing is not going to the solve the problem…there is a natural gravitation to things of God and people of God.”
We have an opportunity now, like we have never had before, to raise up the greatest generation of disciples. We are in a battle for the souls of children and I believe we can win!
Resilience: A quality describing the spatial elasticity of a child or adult, the resistant strength to bend and flex, but not break against the weight of the culture.
Resilience is possible to learn. And even better news, it’s a spiritual quality.
Resilience is the muscle discipleship builds.
Discipleship is the muscle that builds resilience.
1 factor can mitigate the problems children are facing.
Belonging – the power of a loving caring adult.
Spread faith everywhere you go, especially with children.
Believing – The power of the Bible.
Moralistic therapeutic diesem. *google what this is teaching
What do I say when things are hard, “God is for me.”
Become – The Power of Identity – This takes believing and belonging and turns it into real life. Making choices based on your allegiance to scripture and that God is who He said He is.
God is for me!
General Session 2
Arlene Pellicane
@ArlenePellicane
Phones as a new baby analogy.
All screen time is not created equal.
Digital Vegetables vs. Digital Candy.
A little candy is okay, but if you’re diet is built on candy you have a declining health that affects your brains.
There are no stopping cues today with technology. TV shows just continue forever without a stopping point.
Netflix’s competition is sleep.
How do you know if your kids are in trouble.
Casual, at risk, addicted.
Causal kids play for 30 minutes of enjoyment and then can put it down.
At risk kids know they are only supposed to play on the weekends but want to play all the time.
Addicted kids skip out on family dinner to play.
Self control comes from the prefrontal cortex. That muscle needs to be flexed to give it resilient power.
To be normal in today’s day and age is not a good thing.
Script the critical move. What’s the one thing that if you did in your family would make a big difference.
No phones at the dinner table.
No phone in the bedroom at night.
Help your kids regulate.
Impress the word of God on your kids heart.
Digital candy is no way to build a life.
Ron Hunter Jr., Ph.D.
After 12 years, 270 speakers!
The Grand Canyon National Park
A picture is not the same as an experience.
How long should you visit the Grand Canyon.
We want our church to be a place not where people come and see but where they go and be.
Four Major Family Ministry Models
D6 Model – a philosophy not a program. Church and home working together. Curriculum is a tactic that supports the philosophy.
We did it too cool. When seniors graduated school they graduated from the church. Siloing each ministry kingdom creates individual kingdoms. D6 movement needs to be generational caring about the current and next generation. Being intentional with “as you go” moments. What do you do with silos? We bring them into the perimeter of the church. Remove them with overlap not integration. Higher accountability and deeper study.
Integrated Model – Recognizes the silos as a problem. Brings them into the church. Removes them with integration and see parents as the primary discipler of church and home. We need to borrow more integration especially in worship and missions trips. When God is doing something awesome they come home and show the parents but image what would happen if mom and dad when on the missions trip with them. We need intentionality but also need age specific teaching.
Integrated Model – Recognizes the silos as a problem. Brings them into the church. Removes them with integration and see parents as the primary discipler of church and home. We need to borrow more integration especially in worship and missions trips. When God is doing something awesome they come home and show the parents but image what would happen if mom and dad when on the missions trip with them. We need intentionality but also need age specific teaching.
Adoptive Model – Not about celebrating the event itself. It’s about prepping both parents and their children. It’s not about the purity event but getting parents to model and teach this with their kids leading up to the event. This speaks far more than the event itself.
Milestones Model – peer to peer, a more mature teenager works with a less mature teenager. Older generation to younger generation. Possibly a season ahead teaching a season behind helping them navigate their next steps.
Overlap the family ministry models.
Milestone models – events over life (emphasis on birth-24)
Adoptive model – behaviors for a life practiced weekly.
D6 model – Church preps all ages for week ahead – practiced daily.
Integrated model – church preps for week ahead – practiced daily aged integrated with family first priority.
At Home – Unforgettable moments
We are doing this well at church but failing to help parents at home with these unforgettable moments.
Dr. Richard Ross – PVC Pipe and Ministry in Thirds.
What transfers faith to the next generation. Longitudinal study. The warmth of a father’s heart.
It’s easier to do church at church than to teach parents how to do church at home.
We need to be park rangers teaching parents how to do church at home every day. Give them tools, encourage them, show them.
The ranger reminds people what’s important.
Measure engagement more than we measure performance. Not attendance and offering but Bible engagements and faith talks.
You are here to teach people not just how to walk into church but how to carry out their faith outside of church.
General Session 3
Ryan Frank
Don’t just remember the why behind the what, but the who behind the what.
One of the greatest tools the enemy uses is discouragement.
Remember the One who is with you. God is working in the lives of His people.
Exodus 3 and 4. Moses and the burning bush.
It’s often in the mundane that miracles happen.
Excuse #1 – I’m not good enough. God was not concerned with Moses’ inabilities but his availability.
Instead of saying, “I’m not good enough” remember WHO is with you.
Excuse #2 – I don’t have all the answers. Remember “I AM” has sent me.
Excuse #3 – They won’t take me seriously. Ask yourself, “What has God placed in my hand?”
Don’t over think it. Don’t make it complicated. Don’t compare it with others. Trust God.
Excuse #4 – I’m not a good public speaker.
God is looking for someone who is humble, relying on Him, and trusting His word.
Callings are confirmed by what God does with sub-par equipment.
Excuse #5 – I’m desperate. You’re not alone, remember God is with you.
God seldom works when or how we expect Him to.
Sometimes God pushes us to the edge of our limit.
You’ve got this. Trust in God and depend on His word.
All God expects us to be is available.”
Remember HE is the “I Am”
General Session 4
Jay Strother
The first job of a leader is to always define reality.
Fewer young adults are connected to church and that trend is growing.
If life is a cafeteria, young adults are choosing something other than our churches for their spirituality.
The young adult challenge: Our church methodology has not helped.
2nd Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
- Young adults need spiritual mentors. Paul saw Timothy as a true son in the faith.
Do you now how much it would mean for you to speak to a young adult as Paul spoke to Timothy? Do you know how empty their tanks are?
Cultivate a disciple making culture in your church.
Welcome them to our tables and our lives. - Young adults need a spiritual root system.
2 Tim 1:5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
2 Tim 3:14-15 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” - Young adults need to feed the fire of their spiritual gifts.
2 Tim 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Timothy was not like Paul. Call out the gifts in the younger generation. - Young adults need to share in Gospel ministry.
2 Timothy 1:8-14
What millennials are looking for is contributing to something that matters.
2 Tim 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
We all need a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy.
Holy Spirt, bring to mind a Timothy for all of us. Someone we can invest in like Paul invested in Timothy.
Look for people who are fat. Faithful, Available, Teachable.
Grace Filled Sex – Dr. Tim Kimmel
We shouldn’t be ashamed to discuss what God wasn’t ashamed to create.
“If I take out the shepherd getting the sheep to go astray will be easy.” Satan
When you get married you blend your assets with your liabilities.
The key to building a resilient marriage and writing a lifelong Loe story as a couple requires a commitment to maintaining heart connection with your spouse.
- The ME lens.
Phil 2:3-4 - The Love It Lens
Ps 103:10 - The Pious Lens
It’s hard to convince someone of their self righteousness.
James 1:22
All 3 of these lenses are rooted in selfishness.
James 4:6b
- The GRACE lease
We tend to exclude grace to salvation. Grace is for everyday.
1 Peter 4:10
Grace AND truth
We must be guided by His truth and tempered by His grace.
Treat your spouse the way God treats you.
If marriage is the ultimate outlet for love and grace is its most needed ingredient, then sexual intimacy within that marriage is the ultimate test kitchen for God’s applied and active grace.
Personally honor and bless your spouse.
A grace-filled marriage gives us the power to overcome the standard ways sex is often mishandled in a marriage.
Emotional Intimacy and Physical Connection
If you want your spouse to be more interested in Emotional Intimacy you need to be more interested in Physical Connection.
If you want your spouse to be more interested in Physical Connection you need to be more interested in Emotional Intimacy.
How do you react when your spouse is different than you? Respecting the differences will enhance the sexual relationship.
Instead of allowing the differences to drive you crazy, respect them.
A grace-filled marriage helps us have a kinder and more understanding view of our spouse’s wiring when it comes to sex.
Sexually intimacy is one of the main ways men connect emotionally with their wife.
A grace-filled marriage gives our marriage enormous protection and security in the midst of a sexually contaminated culture.
1 Cor 7:5
Fight sexual temptation as a team. Help each other.
Addicts are takers not givers. They are controllers.
Be available to each other.
When it comes to everyone else, stay pure.
Have a RED light glowing. Not a green light or a yellow light.
1 Cor 7:3-4
God’s grace empowers us to keep our marriage focused and dependent on Him rather than each other.
Matthew 27:37-39
It’s not my love for God I pour over my wife, it’s God’s love for me that I pour over my wife. His love is infinite.
The secret to maintaining heart connection is to make a daily commitment to pursue your spouses heart. Make that commitment until one of you takes your last breathe.
The key to loving each other, and enjoying the sexual intimacy that comes with that is loving God most.
You have a choice to go around wounded or broken.
It is well…with my phone?
Arlene Pellicane
It is well…with my phone? Ask yourself this question. Ask your kids and spouse this question.
Your soul health and phone health are connected. 50% of 18-24 year olds report feeling depression.
The pandemic doubled screen time reports. Post pandemic, what are we going to do with the new habits we formed with technology?
Not all technology is bad, digital vegetables and digital candy.
We are reaching the devices instead of the divine. God, not google.
When my child has a fever, start with God, not google.
Psalm 121:1 “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?”
Kids are playing games, but it’s much harder for them to pray.
In 2020, 2.7B gamers in the world. 1 in 3 people. 45% are woman.
Guys disappear while girls play in little short spurts as they go.
What if during all the little times, you were still to know God? Reading a book? Talking?
18-35 year olds is largest population who game. Those years they are forming life decisions on calling.
Think about David – 1 Samuel 17:33-37 “But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Position your kids so when they leave your homes they aren’t addicted to games. This starts when they’re young.
2 Sam 5:4 – David was King at 30. What could your child do at 30 without distraction and Digital junk food and an idol iPhone.
This idol worship is a gradual drift where you become so attached to something other than God. When holding a phone, you’re competing for attention and heart affections.
1950’s experiment with kittens in the dark for the beginning of their life. Later out in the light for 1 hour a day in a little cylinder. Then take them out into the world. They would run into objects, you can touch their nose without them pulling back, and they didn’t chase anything. Later they didn’t change. Those early weeks of development changed them forever.
Kids in the cocoon of digital world. Then later so hard to look face to face and be a friend, have an interview, or fall in love.
Nomophobia – fear of being without your smart phone.
Iowa state university study.
58% of men and 47% of women suffer from the phobia, and an additional 9% feel stressed when their mobile phones are off. 55% of those surveyed cited keeping in touch with friends or family as the main reason that they got anxious when they could not use their mobile phones.
Feeling of dread without your device.
Uncomfortable, annoyed, anxious, feeling weird because you don’t know what to do.
These devices are not neutral.
Watch the Social Dilemma on Netflix
We must put people before devices.
Do you think your spouse is more interesting than your phone? If there was a hidden camera that watched you all day, would someone else conclude this?
Do you actually put people before tech? Do your eyes show this? Does a notification show this?
Still face experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0
Connection is easily repaired.
What if this talk was given while the speaker was holding a phone in their hand. Eye contact makes a huge difference.
When you are still faced and phone in hand, you are communicating you are not as important to me as my device.
Do the Pivot. When people come into your airspace, put you phone down. Eye contact communicates a world of difference.
Courtesy of people must come before devices.
5 A+ Skills (ScreenKidsBook.com)
Affection
Appreciation
Anger Management
Apology
Attention
It takes 10,000 hours to become an experts
Today with their devices kids are becoming experts in Amusement, Entertainment, Immoral Thinking and Jokes
Do your kids know how to receive love and fill their love bucket?
The deceive always gives you what you want. It never asks you to do hard things or to do chores. It creates self absorbed idol worshippers.
Strengthen your attention muscle through reading.
No phones at mealtime.
No devices overnight in rooms
Digital sabbath
Delay devices
Time limits
Screen Kids Book – Screen Kids and Grandparenting Screen Kids Offer Help for Raising Digitally-Balanced, Well-Behaved Children in a Tech-Driven World.
https://5lovelanguages.com/screenkids/
Parents Rising: 8 Strategies for Raising Kids Who Love God, Respect Authority, and Value What’s Right
https://www.amazon.com/Parents-Rising-Strategies-Raising-Authority-ebook/dp/B076B8LYGK
Take courage to stand up.
Don’t go with the flow…where the flow is going, is not very good.
Do this in a confidence and relaxed way. Be fun at home. Don’t make it all about what kids can’t do.
Millennial Parents of Faith in a Post-2020 World
Michayla White
Thank you for enduring, thank you for not giving up.
Every generation matters, every generation is unique. Generations are a construct we created to help us understand one another better.
Goals: Discover and Consider Implications for our ministry.
Establish who we are talking about. Share results rom our survey.
A lot can happen in 15 years. Research defines Millennials span to be rom 1981-1996. Implications for how we move through life together. What’s common behaviors we need to be aware of?
Who are they? Parents are boomers, most diverse generation, largest living, highly educated, digital natives, majority of current workforce.
Older cohort and younger cohort changes.
The oldest Millennials are turning 40 this year.
What is shaping them? The Context. The Narrative.
Clinton Scandal, OJ Simpson, 911, Princes Diana, Columbine Shooting, Housing Bust, Recessions, War, Y2K – shaping economics.
For the church – rise of media and years of abuse coming to light. Witness to many cracks in the church. Many were victims of the abuse.
The millennial parents of faith research study by INCM – insights for how this group is navigating and processing things like parenting, faith, culture, the church, discipleship.
Sample Data: Majority USA/Canadian Sample. 94% married. 2-3 children average per home. Children’s ages: Primarily early childhood- elementary. Majority working FT or PT, 80% working, 20% working from home or seeking. Majority birth year: 1980-1989.
The Millennial Generation has been splitting in two. Jason Dorsey research.
Mega-llennials, Me-llennials.
1981-1989 , 1990-1996 The birth of the internet changed and created a split here.
Majority of the people taking the survey were in the older group.
71% grew up in a home that valued faith and God.
89% described their relationship with God as a devoted follower of Jesus.
How they view the church? What do they want with their child’s relationship with the church?
Nomads, Prodigals, Exiles: Barna Group Research
Nomads, most common group of millennials, Christian background but walked away from the local church, identity as Christians
Prodigals: Lost faith but claim no Christian belief.
Exiles have a tough time feeling at home in a church setting but chose to remain in the institutional church context.
91% say my faith is important to me and influences how I parent
93% say they want their kids to grow up to know, love, and serve Jesus. The desire is absolutely there.
23% say I make reading my bible a regular part of my day. Highly Agree.
36% say I make reading my bible a regular part of my day. Agree.
22 % highly agree they are in a discipling relationship.
37% agree they are in a discipling relationship.
The degree they are experiencing relational discipleship is the same as they are reading their bible.
58% say church is big support to them as a parent
90% say they attend church regularly as in 2-3 times a month.
But HOW are they engaging church? Right now, 68% are in person. 20% online if open. 7% if not open. 5% not attending at all.
Anecdotal feedback did show an appreciation for the online experience if someone is sick, baby is having a hard morning…they appreciate the online option.
Strong response for in person is the prevailing preference for HOW they want to gather.
Throughout the pandemic, did you regularly engage the virtual children’s ministry programming made available to you from your church?
Yes 56%, No 36%, 9% not offered.
“While online church exists for us, it doesn’t work for us. In person, or not at all.”
Church for millennials is community, it’s what they want for their children, not to put them in front of another screen. Online church is not the same.
Children were too young to engage. Attention span did not hold up, tired of screens, zoom fatigue, it’s not the same.
What do we currently feel comfortable with?
Spring 202171% would love to be in person. 21% online. 8% are in the category of watching covid numbers to determine decisions.
Summer VBS 67% in person, 15% virtual/at home.
Lots of chatter to “get ready for September” but don’t miss the summer to get ready for the fall. We should be moving.
Fall 81% in person 9% online.
Parents are paying attention to the schools. If the school is closed, why are you open and vice versa.
They are also paying attention (the more cautious group), are all your ministries following the same policies. Do the student ministry leaders follow what the kids ministry? Because youth ministry wasn’t following the same protocol they didn’t want to bring even their kids to the church. They were all coming home to the same home and this really mattered to parents in the survey.
When it comes to decision making for commitment to your church home.
1: Theological alignment (or ideological alignment)
2: Preaching
3: Children’s Ministry.
They will endure preaching and worship IF their child is thriving in the kids ministry.
What do they value most?
Being Known – people who know their children’s names and show an interest in them.
Relationships – having people in our kids lives who disciple and mentor them.
Communication – having good communication about what our kids are learning about. *Millennial fathers are the most engaged fathers in a long time. Affirm those fathers who are showing up!
Leadership – I value knowing the children’s ministry director or pastor.
Safety and Security
Expectation of Millennial parents when rising a church with their kids.
Safety and Security are non-negotiable.
They should know your policy and see you are following them.
Ethos: Hospitality and inclusion. Longing for community. If they can’t get it, then their kids are are going to get it.
They are testing out how you feel.
#1 concern of Millennial parents when visit a church with their kids.
If a child keeps showing up with bad behavior, do you get to know why and help?
What are the biggest questions they are wrestling with?
Child’s behavior 27%
Child’s relationships 21%
Child’s spirituality 26%
Wholistic development and behavior. The affect of screen time on kids. Screen Reliant Kids.
The next part of the survey was heavy. Develop compassion and mercy and sight for what parents are navigating.
Their children’s Biblical worldview, “I’m afraid culture will impact our kids by confusing them about what they’ve been raised to believe but the world is saying the opposite.”
Concern for the confusion their kids are facing.
LGBTQ+ and Sexuality #1 Concern
“The emphasis on gender rights now and LGBTQ+ topics..I don’t believe the church is providing guidance to address this with their children.
Social Media #2 Concern
I don’t want my kids to get caught up. I want to protect them from the harm and anxiety it is causing.
Kids are still being bullied through google docs chat feature. It’s so hard to protect them.
Cancel Cutlure #3
This is a different form of bullying and they are concerned for the implications on their kids.
Values and theology
They are afraid was the prevailing thought. This should cause us to have compassion.
Culture is polarizing and kids will have to navigate this with a Biblical worldview.
What are they hopeful for right now? Socially they are hopeful for what it looks like to be with people in an actual community.
Hopeful for a greater empath.
A desire for revival. Want or believe it to happen.
Longing for greater community and connection.
A commitment to healthier paces and better priorities. Honor this and help them set healthy rhythms.
What does this all mean?
Last question we asked them? What does it mean to be a parent?
Millennial parents of faith love their kids and feel deep responsibility for their role as a parent. The vast majority recognize they are entrust by God to steward their kids.
They also expressed this feels like a lot!
Something happened. W
What we might be working towards…
When Millennials were growing up in the church christian education had seen a rise of programs for ministry. Biblically illiterate. Learn how to walk with Jesus on a Tuesday. Show them.
Reading the Bible is like eating a mango. It’s messy, something weird in the middle, it might hurt you. It’s confusing unless you DO know how to open a mango. Your fruit world is changed forever.
Teach parents HOW to open the Bible. They can open it but they’ll face questions about the thing in the middle. Give them someone who they can talk with and show them.
We are partners in the discipleship of kids. Parents and Home. This works when parents know what it looks like to follow Jesus on a Tuesday. Millennial parents of faith have a gap. They need spiritual mothers and fathers to come alongside them to help disciple them. You might invite someone once and they say no, they are testing you with a question mark. Ask 12 times for them to come over. Do you really care about me? They need the pursuit. The Jesus level pursuit. Jesus went all the way to the tax collectors home and sick girl. Few people saw it. It wasn’t for scalability. It was for that person to have a transformative experience with him. Instead of programs and events, maybe it looks more like dinner.
They need to experience discipleship relationships right alongside their children. They aren’t equipped to do what we are asking them to do. Knowledge does not equal relationships.
Invest in their children and you will experience their trust.
Invite them over for dinner. Get involved in their everyday life. Pass the baton of making disciples. Help the elderly in the church to help families. They aren’t coasting, mobilize them.
#D62021
