Parents have power!

Recently I have really taken some time to focus in on relationships between parents and students.  I have been thinking about the conversations they need to have and how those conversations actually need to start at a very young age.

I have spent a lot of time in my ministry worrying about the way parents raised their children.  I have met with dads and told them what to say to their daughters, and I have told mothers what steps I thought would help with their sons.

I have realized for years that many parents want the church to do their job in raising up a child who knows scripture and knows the right choices to make.  While realizing that many parents wanted us to fill this roll I also knew that this is not the churches role.

I have now set my frustration aside, and I feel like I have taken a turn in my ministry to families.  I realize that just like dealing with students, parents respond better when they see instead of hear.  I have chosen to try to create an environment where parents can see each other succeed and fail.  I want to go along this journey with them so that I can learn as well how we should respond in different situations with our students.

Last weekend our Junior High Ministry hosted a Daddy and Daughter Date Night at our church.  We sold tickets and turned our Children’s Chapel into a very nice restaurant.  My 9 year old daughter and I were the hosts and servers while we had some amazing help in the kitchen.

This is not a new idea we came up with.  If you would like some great ideas and details on setting one of these events up then click here to download a guide to your own event.

The food was great.  The setting was perfect, but let me tell you the most important part of the night.

Dads and daughters sat and laughed and talked by themselves for an entire hour.  Memories were created and conversations were started.  It was interesting that no father or daughter left asking why we didn’t do something else.  They all just loved the chance to talk to each other.

I didn’t expect it to go quite that smooth for every dad and daughter, but I believe when they got there and saw other couples laughing and talking they wanted the same thing.  Many dads and daughters left talking about when we would do this again, and I just encouraged them to make it a regular date for the 2 of them.  Plan their next date now, so that they can create an understanding of love and respect.

This may be a change of culture in your church or family.  That is ok.  I know it was for many of us too.

We need to give parents opportunities to fill the role God has called them too.  That is all this event was.  We let dads be dads!  (and that is what they needed)