Home-Allied Ministry Ideas, Courtesy of the Pandemic

We’re all ready to say goodbye to 2020, but what did we learn that we might want to carry into the new year? I’ve worked in family faith formation for almost two decades. We’ve known for a long time all the benefits of partnering with parents as we live out Jesus’ imperative to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). But nothing before this pandemic has led to such widespread efforts to explore home-allied approaches.

Here are just a few of the strategies and experiments launched by innovative and improvising churches in 2020:

1. Focus on the two things researchers say matter most... Faith conversations and faith practices at home are the two keys to catalyzing faith in young people, according to Search Institute’s groundbreaking research. Because most faith communities have been unable to gather, ministry leaders are providing parents with faith- focused discussion-starters. And parents have been sharing stories of deep and meaningful conversations with their children about matters of faith (and doubt). b) Church leaders gave parents instructions (and encouragement) for exploring faith themes, prayer, and scripture. For example, leaders shared lessons for creating a sacred space at home; for praying with their children before meals (or at the end of the day, or in the car); and for sharing a Bible story with a child. Some leaders even recorded “story time” videos for families. These conversations and practices have had a profound impact on parents’ confidence as the faith leaders of their family.
2. Use the tools of digital ministry to help families... During the pandemic restrictions, ministry leaders have learned about and used Zoom, Google Drive, Google Classroom, and other digital tools. We delivered ideas in wholly new ways, using digital methods. Leaders developed digital “faith hubs” or created digital playlists that allowed families to pick and choose flexible ways to influence faith formation in their kids. And they created Google forms with opportunities for families to reflect on their faith-growing experiences.
3. Encouraging families to own their own faith formation plan... Many ministry leaders equipped families with curated “playlists” as a kind of idea-bucket, from which families could create their own plans for spurring faith conversations and practices at home. A family could choose activities according to their children’s ages, spiritual interests, or even family schedules. This strategy leads us away from a “one size fits all approach,” encouraging us to meet each person or family where they are.
4. Inviting families to share their stories... Still, it’s not enough to merely provide resources and tools to families —they need to know we care about them, to listen well to what might help them to better know and follow Jesus. One way to do that is to provide an opportunity for families to reflect on their experiences and faith growth. We might ask a parent how a faith conversation, lesson, or experience has created a new awareness or helped them grow or made their family feel more a part of the faith community. When we hear and share their stories with the whole congregation (with permission), we affirm them and their ideas, and treat them as valuable to the entire faith community.
5. Connect parents to one another and to the community in small groups... During the Covid shut-down congregations also offered parent affinity groups, arranged by children’s ages, children/teen needs, or by topics. Parents were comforted and encouraged as they realized they were not alone in their experience of teaching their children at home, while working from home, or while navigating childcare and COVID-19 safety precautions. This also led to discussions about moments of grace or gratitude, or naming where they saw God working in their lives.
6. Build a sense of community using the strengths of digital connection... Many faith communities built a sense of community through virtual worship and other Zoom-based small groups. Some members said they joined programming they may never have participated in if had they needed to be physically present (due to child care, work schedules, etc.). Churches also created community through social media images, posts, faith conversation-starters, and hashtags (like #churchname, #stilltogether), encouraging members to participate, using the same hashtag.

​So, which practices, influenced by your own pandemic experiences, are you determined to carry into 2021?

​Originally published on January 15, 2021 for Vibrant Faith’s Online Community - https://vibrant-faith-catalyst.mn.co/