Lead a horse to water…
8 Nov
Many have heard the familiar adage
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.
True. But you can give him a salt lick and make him thirsty.
If your a #kidmin leader, you’re very familiar with the helpful tools you provide to parents every week. Tools designed to help parents continue the conversation after their weekend fun in your ministry. Tools intended to equip parents to teach their kids how to navigate the bible, to internalize scripture, and to grow as a follower of Christ.
But we also know that if mom and dad don’t see those tools as valuable they aren’t likely to use them. So how do we provoke parents to put these tools to use?
Create a thirst.
Consider this… in my community it doesn’t take much to see what families value. Good schools & good sports programs. Why? Because they develop valuable skills and create opportunity for kids as they grow into adulthood.
Many parents I encounter have a vision for their child’s educational success. Which is why they enroll their kids in a specialized school, pay for private tutoring and pay close attention to their progress as a student. Success in academics opens doors for success professionally. So when a teacher sends homework, study tools and other materials home… parents utilize them. Why?
Vision.
There is an end goal in mind that includes a mortar board, a long, black robe and pomp & circumstance.
If mom and dad do not have a vision for their child’s spiritual development… if their goal is not centered upon raising a child that loves God with everything in them, then they will not see the value in the tools we place in their hands. They will not see the value in they’re child learning to navigate the bible on their own… they won’t encourage the discipline of internalizing scripture… they won’t teach the art of articulating their faith.
So, how do we create a thirst? Turn them on to a bigger vision for their family. Help them see there is a greater goal for their child. Give them a glimpse of the impact they can have on the faith of successive generations.
Parents want to be effective. But many times they just don’t know how. What do we (the church) have in place that will teach them how?
Some friends of mine have an amazing ministry that equips families in ways I’ve never seen before. If there is anything to consider for your #kidmin ministry in 2010, take a close look at Family ID. Check out the video below then visit their website to see how you can bring Family ID to your families.
FAMiLY-iD from FAMiLY iD on Vimeo.
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Hey, I know a bunch of those people! I’m going to look into this…
Nice analogy and nice video. How easy is the implementation though in your opinion?
Matt,
Great question. Hosting an event to educate, inspire and launch parents down this path is simple.
Creating a vision for your family, defining the steps leading to that vision… not as simple. This is a lifetime process of change that requires support, accountability, and regular encouragement. But Family ID is actively developing a support process that provides that support for a year beyond the actual event.
I’ll post this week about our own journey with Family ID. That will shed light on the reality of implementation.
I had the blessing of creating a Family Vision/Family ID a few years ago. It has created a desire in my family to fulfill our family’s vision & mission. Great stuff! A must for anyone who has a family or one day wants to have a family.
I’m looking forward to reading more about your experience with Family iD. We’re looking at different ways to get the parents more involved with their children’s lives. Thanks for sharing all you do on your blog!