Parents as youth workers. Does the sound of that idea make you quake in your Vans?
It doesn’t have to. Parent volunteers can be our allies, our trusted group of faithful, hard working ministers whom we link arms with. There are a lot of reasons why having parents as youth ministry volunteer is a good idea. Here are my ten best reasons for inviting parents onto your youth ministry team.
Maturity
An adult that is a parent can be more mature. Parenting and having children has a way of maturing you (whether you want it to or not). That maturity can b very helpful in a youth ministry setting.
There is a balance in youth ministry between having fun with students and have serious conversations with them. Parents can understand that and can be mature enough to find that perfect balance as a leader, just like they often do at home with their own children.
In sensitive and difficult situations parent-leaders often have the maturity to not respond immaturely or in a way that will cause hurt.
Life Experience
A parent adds life experience to the youth ministry you lead, and to to conversations and teaching. Parenting offers a wealth of experiences and life lessons. A parent-leader can share the things they have learned in life with discernment and depth, that only comes by through living life.
Relationships with Other Parents
The right parent as a leader can be your greatest defender and communicator. With a parent-leader, you have an adult armed with the knowledge of all the good stuff going on in your ministry, and they take that into their circle of influence with other parents. Parents are more likely to listen to another parents.
Having a parent as a leader also puts other parents at ease. If they know and trust the parent that is leading in your ministry, your ministry earns additional trust as well.
Time Management
Parents are often better managers of time, because, well, they’re parents, and they’re already jugging multiple schedules. With music, sports, school and their own careers, parents have learned time management and organization. Busy ministry programs, retreat schedules, or event agendas can be easily handled by parents that are used to packed agendas and time crunches.
Training
Parents often come to you already trained. Whether it be from a work setting, another ministry, or some other way. Parent’s arrive on on your team already prepared with tools to be great leaders.
Leader trainings are still important and needed. Learning how to lead a small group or guide a discussion is essential, and parents come in already with a clue because they are used to guiding and redirecting conversations at home or leading a small group discussion in a work setting.
Reliability
Being a parent often means that others are relying on you- children, spouse, and a regular jobs to pay the bills. Because of this, parents can be more reliable. They’re often familiar with living up to others expectations, so living up to the requirements of your youth ministry will be second nature to them.
There is nothing more frustrating that having leaders just not show up, with no explanation, excuse, or communication. You are relying on them for an event, project, or for a normal weekly gathering, but the leader just does not show.
Parents who are leaders can be the most reliable and dependable, because they already are.
Resources
Parents often have resources that you don’t know about or might have never thought of. They have work connections, local connections, and the inside scoop on all kinds of things. They can be a wealth of information and be a “go to” in finding last minute resources and help. Parents, especially who have grown up in an area, know who to call that is not listed in the phone book. They may know who has what you are looking for, sitting in the back of a garage or in storage. Youth ministry is all about last minute needs and flexibility, parents can be a source of those emergency helps.
Patience
Parents can be patient, sometimes. Not all parents are patient, but as a parent you learn the life skill of being patient with silly actions, dumb questions, and just plain annoying little people. Parenting often have a way of teaching and testing patience, especially during the toddler years and again in the middle school years.
Parents often come into your ministry already tested about how to be patient with things that a non-parents may not be able to handle.
Our ministry to teens and young teens needs to be seasoned with grace, patience, and the spiritual fruit of long-suffering. Parents can bring those much need spiritual gifts to your ministry
Respect
Parents can come to your ministry already pre-loaded with an element of respect. They are a parents, so automatically they get respect from students. Parents can pull out their “Mom-Voice” or the “Dad-Look” if needed that immediately brings a sense of authority. Parent involvement often brings both trust and respect. Respected parents can bring respect from church members, other parents and even students.
Wisdom
Father knows best and Mom always said…Parents can bring to your ministry more than knowledge and understanding. They bring wisdom. They bring wise discernment, years of experience, and often, a level head.
