R
Great feedback! Thanks for taking the time.
Reaching out to parents is by far the hardest part. I know we've made some attempts in the past, but they potentially did more harm than good. It's the parent's generation that stopped coming to church to avoid judgment and criticism of their lives. Pitching to them easily comes off as 'you're doing a terrible job of raising your child.' lol
I know we want to avoid being one of those churches that tries to lure people in with rock bands and movies and parties that are vaguely Christian-themed and I think our aversion to such things has made some of our congregation sort of give up even wanting to try. "Well if THAT'S what it takes, then FORGET THEM!'
The generational differences here are astounding. I remember being a teen on fire for Christ and you're right- the fellowship was a huge part of it. Outings and movies and parties with Christian friends... those things can teach kids how to live Christian lifestyles even though it's not a straight Bible Study. It can show them how much fun you can have without drinking and obsessing about sex and pushing all sorts of moral boundaries.
I really appreciate your comments and will take them to heart. I pray we can strike some kind of balance in reaching out to kids without scaring away their parents!
If anyone else has stuff to say on this, I'd love to hear it!
Reaching out to parents is by far the hardest part. I know we've made some attempts in the past, but they potentially did more harm than good. It's the parent's generation that stopped coming to church to avoid judgment and criticism of their lives. Pitching to them easily comes off as 'you're doing a terrible job of raising your child.' lol
I know we want to avoid being one of those churches that tries to lure people in with rock bands and movies and parties that are vaguely Christian-themed and I think our aversion to such things has made some of our congregation sort of give up even wanting to try. "Well if THAT'S what it takes, then FORGET THEM!'
The generational differences here are astounding. I remember being a teen on fire for Christ and you're right- the fellowship was a huge part of it. Outings and movies and parties with Christian friends... those things can teach kids how to live Christian lifestyles even though it's not a straight Bible Study. It can show them how much fun you can have without drinking and obsessing about sex and pushing all sorts of moral boundaries.
I really appreciate your comments and will take them to heart. I pray we can strike some kind of balance in reaching out to kids without scaring away their parents!
If anyone else has stuff to say on this, I'd love to hear it!