I see this happen too often. A child doesn’t want to go to church or Bible study, or they don’t think they fit in the group designed for them or there isn’t a group for them. What can parents do? There’s got to be an answer. The answer isn’t to drag them to church. They are usually too big or old for this (and they are probably bigger than us, anyway.) Parents, we’re not off the hook on this one. In fact, we are the key to our children coming to church and discovering that it is important and fulfilling, (OK. It’s fun!)
Gather Friends
One reason children resist coming (oops. I believe we started using the work “going”) is that they “won’t know anybody.” NOTE: Going implies “You need to GO to church.” Coming says, “We’ll pave the way by being a good example.” While parents can’t guarantee who will be there that their child knows, we can do a couple of things.
· Invite one of their friends to come with your family one Sunday. This will require a little advanced effort. Call the friend’s parents and ask permission, preferably earlier in the week. Waiting to the last minute only adds to the challenge. If a sleepover happens on Saturday, make coming to church a requirement (for the student and their friend) for the sleepover. Not every sleepover needs church attendance as a requirement, but we are looking for something that gets the family to church. This week a sleepover, and next week something else. If your child sleeps over at another home, make sure they know the family plans to pick them up, and perhaps the friend, before church. The goal is consistency.
· Call other parents in the student group and see if their student is going. Networking works for the parents just like it works for the students. The goals are only different in the beginning. Other parents will appreciate knowing that they are not alone in the challenge of getting children to come to church.
More in the next part.
Gather Friends
One reason children resist coming (oops. I believe we started using the work “going”) is that they “won’t know anybody.” NOTE: Going implies “You need to GO to church.” Coming says, “We’ll pave the way by being a good example.” While parents can’t guarantee who will be there that their child knows, we can do a couple of things.
· Invite one of their friends to come with your family one Sunday. This will require a little advanced effort. Call the friend’s parents and ask permission, preferably earlier in the week. Waiting to the last minute only adds to the challenge. If a sleepover happens on Saturday, make coming to church a requirement (for the student and their friend) for the sleepover. Not every sleepover needs church attendance as a requirement, but we are looking for something that gets the family to church. This week a sleepover, and next week something else. If your child sleeps over at another home, make sure they know the family plans to pick them up, and perhaps the friend, before church. The goal is consistency.
· Call other parents in the student group and see if their student is going. Networking works for the parents just like it works for the students. The goals are only different in the beginning. Other parents will appreciate knowing that they are not alone in the challenge of getting children to come to church.
More in the next part.
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