SwagBucks

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Young Families Ministries

We had a meeting today with a couple of Elders from our church. They were soliciting our ideas for a young families ministries at our church. We did not have a whole lot to suggest. We were asked several things from what ministry ideas we had, to how does our current facility look to the parents of a young child. We were impressed with the questions that were asked, but we still felt at a loss as to what to tell the Elders about fixing the problem.

We suggested hiring a dedicated person to do young families and young adults ministry--someone with a real passion for it. We suggested upgrading the nursery facilities to make a better place for sleeping infants (somewhat sound-proof which it is not now) and breastfeeding moms, we suggested having the sermon pumped into the nursery so nursing moms and moms with crying babies could listen to the sermon, and we suggested that childcare be made available for ALL church functions. We also mentioned that we can't forget about single people at the church. After all, single people become the new young families at church! Paul said it was better to remain single to focus on God's work and we can't as the Church exclude singles from the life of the church; rather, we should be listening to and learning from them with their unique, God-given perspective on things.

I am wondering what things your church does for young families or young adults ministry?

4 comments:

Amy said...

I think we should get really radical and just nurse our babies in the sanctuary.

Mandie said...

Imagine the scandal! I've done it in the foyer, but not the sanctuary (yet)!

Christy said...

LOL! That would get the preacher to speed up the sermons, huh? ;0)

Unknown said...

There have never been any great young adult ministry at any church I've been at. It's either college ministry or nothing.

One church did try to start a monthly family fun night. there were nursery workers and children's workers so that the kids had their own activity and parents could do there own thing, but all under one roof. I was single at the time, so I never got to see it in action.

Right now, we're so busy that we wouldn't have time to add another church activity. But from my experience it has always been up to a few of 'target' group who actually take the initiative and organize something.

Family ministry is important though. That is a group that tends to be missing from the church.