As a new school year is upon us, many parents are eager for their children to return, while others may feel anxious sending their babies off to be cared for by people they barely know. Likewise, some children are excited to begin a new school year, while others may not even want to say the word school yet. This paradox puts children’s ministers in an interesting position: to encourage, support, and gently guide children – and parents – as they move into a new year of school.
As you consider your role as a children’s minister, volunteer leader, or supportive presence in the life of children and families, here are a few suggestions to help with back-to-school emotions and healthy habits:
Children’s ministers should…
Become Aware:
Ask children and parents about the school they will attend, who their teachers will be, and what grades they will be in. Ask about their interests and what they plan to do this school year. In this way, you will have more knowledge about your flock and can follow up as the school year progresses.
Offer Help:
If you find that a child or parent feels insecure about school, offer to help. For children’s ministers, this may mean providing a listening ear, stopping by a home to deliver a back-to-school encouragement gift, praying with and for the family, or checking in intentionally to see how things are going, once the school year begins.
Stay In-the-Know:
Don’t miss the opportunity to stay aware of what is happening throughout the school year. Periodically ask parents how school is going. When you see children on Sundays, ask them about school. If you simply ask children how school is going you may only get a one-word answer: fine. Here are some guiding questions to avoid the dreaded fine answer:
- What is your favorite thing about school?
- Tell me about your teacher.
- Who do you play with at recess?
- What is your favorite specials class? (ex: gym, music, art, library, etc.)
- What’s something cool you learned about last week?
- Are there any special school events coming up?
- Is there anything that bothered you today?
Make Connections:
If you learn that a child is learning about ocean life or weather, help the children make connections to Bible stories. If a child is worried, provide them with a Bible verse to remember when worry creeps in.
- Ocean Life:
- God created fish. (Genesis 1:20-22)
- Jesus called his disciples to make fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17)
- Jesus helped the fishermen (who had been unsuccessful with their overnight fishing ventures) catch a bunch of fish. (Luke 5, John 21)
- Weather: Jesus calmed the storm. (Matthew 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25)
- Worry: Instead of dwelling on worries, think about other things. (Philippians 4:6-8)
Become a Partner:
Ask parents if their child’s school allows lunch visitors, classroom volunteers, or adults to read to children. If so, offer to visit or to volunteer at the schools represented by the children in your ministry. Allow interested parents to sign up to have you visit their child’s school. In this way, you will build relationships both with the children, the parents, and the schools, bridging a gap between church, school, and home.
Provide Resources:
If parents have questions or struggles, be a resource for them. This may mean finding articles, videos, or books about the subjects parents struggle with. Listen for common concerns, and compile a list of resources for parents. Here are some suggested topics:
- Discipline or healthy boundaries with children
- Teaching children faith at home
- Bullying
- Helping children with anxiety
- Age-appropriate development/learning
- Signs of learning differences or special needs
And finally, children’s ministers should pray for everyone:
If you click here, you can download a set of back-to-school prayers for free. These can be shared with your volunteer teams, ministry colleagues, and families in your community.
For more information, recommended books and websites, or to find resources for children’s ministry and Christian parenting, let’s connect! You can email me at elaine.pendergrass@ministryarchitects.com or visit Teaching Kids About God.
Elaine Pendergrass
elaine.pendergrass@ministryarchitects.com
Elaine comes with a wealth of knowledge about teaching and learning, child development, and children’s discipleship. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Studies and an M.A. in School Administration, both from Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, NC). Elaine has devoted her career to education and children’s ministry. She has served both in public and private schools as an Elementary teacher, Instructional Specialist, Preschool Director, and Head of School. Elaine served as a Children’s Minister at two large churches in Houston, TX. Elaine is passionate about loving children, making disciples, and equipping families to raise their children in faith. Elaine and her husband David have two beautiful children, Hayden and Julia.