I hear this from ministry friends all the time: families are busy. Between sports, music lessons, tutoring, and therapies, schedules are full. The families in our churches are constantly on the go.
So, the big question remains: How can the church disciple families and support their spiritual growth without adding more pressure to already full schedules?
Think about when parents are already on your church campus. Instead of creating extra weekend events that compete with busy family schedules, consider how you can use the time they are already there.
Rather than hosting a separate parenting seminar on a Saturday, look at your Sunday morning schedule. If your church has two services, you could offer a parenting class during one service while parents attend worship during the other. You might also use small group time to offer short-term classes designed specifically for parents.
When planning your calendar, consider offering a 3–5week small group just for parents. That length isn’t a huge commitment, but it’s long enough to meaningfully invest in important topics. You could offer several class options so parents can choose what is most helpful for their family. Topics might include:
Leading your child to Christ
How to pray with your child
Navigating tough topics and hard questions
Building faith conversations into everyday life
Look for simple ways to help families continue faith conversations at home. One idea is to create or find a resource families can use in the car. For example, door hanger-style tags can be hung from the rearview mirror and include review questions from the week’s Bible lesson. This gives families an easy way to talk about what their child is learning while they drive to school, practice, or errands.
Many church management systems also allow you to send scheduled group texts or emails. You can plan these in advance and send one out on Sunday or Monday with one or two questions parents can ask their kids that week. You can also give kids a question or two to ask their parents, along with a short prayer prompt for families to pray together. Offering a small incentive or recognition for kids who complete these at home can help build excitement and consistency.
In your yearly planning, be intentional about when you will focus on equipping parents. Consider making it an annual emphasis at the same time each year so families can plan and it becomes part of your church rhythm. It may feel like there is never a perfect time — fall is full of football and school events, and summer is packed with vacations — but that’s exactly why it’s so important to be strategic.
Instead of adding more to families’ calendars, focus on maximizing the time they are already on your campus and giving them simple, practical tools to lead spiritually at home. Small, consistent investments can make a big difference in helping parents feel confident and supported as the primary spiritual leaders of their children.
