9 Simple Ways to Reach Families in Your Congregation

By Bethany Andrews, DCE
Children’s Ministry Director, Zion Lutheran Church, St. Charles, MO

This post is one of a series about supporting families in your congregation. Join us for Tell the Next Generation: A Family Ministry Conference on March 9, 2019.

With families seemingly going eight different directions most nights of the week, it can be hard to feel like you are connecting with them in a meaningful way. Over the past few years I’ve learned, sometimes simpler is better.

Here are nine simple ways to connect with the families in your congregations and may make more of an impact than you know.

1. Send a weekly email letting families know what their children learned in Sunday School the past weekend and sharing upcoming events.
2. Visit people in their homes, building relationships with the families in your congregation and hearing about their needs and desires.
3. Pray with families. It may seem small, but can it speak volumes.
4. Share resources online about family, parenting, marriage, and faith.
5. Create an Instagram or Facebook account and post pictures, Bible verses, devotions, activities and more!
6. Pick one or two families each week in the congregation and pray for them. You might choose to send them a text or email asking for any special requests.
7. Create resources and lessons families can use at home. Think of this like Sunday School or Family Devotions in a box…there are tons of ideas on Pinterest! This is especially great during the summer months, Advent, and Lent!
8. Consider creating a team of volunteers to send to people’s home to help them talk to their kids about faith and God once a month. (Help put those devotions in a box into action!)
9. Serve together in your community. Everyone of any age has something they can do, so find a need and set a date to meet it with other families.

However you choose to connect with families in your congregation, the important thing is connecting them to Christ.

Join us on March 9, 2019 for the Tell the Next Generation: A Conference on Ministry to Families with Young Children at Zion Lutheran Harvester. The event will take a deep and wide look at how to engage families with children in ministry and offer a plethora of resources you can implement right away in your congregation.