Fall is a busy and exciting time of year! As families settle into new routines and schedules, this is an ideal time to reach out to parents and caregivers in your congregation so they can stay connected with what is happening in Sunday school and faith formation classes.
For many congregations, “regular attendance” now means that families attend church one or two times a month, rather than every Sunday. Children are involved in many extra-curricular activities, so families may have scheduling conflicts. Or parents may be seeking to spend time with their children at home after a busy week. Some families may not attend church regularly because of demanding work hours, child custody arrangements, or because one parent spends time traveling for their job. Families can quickly begin to feel disconnected from the church community—even if they are away for just a couple of weeks.
While Sunday morning attendance may look different, there are ways to stay connected with parents, caregivers, and their families even if you don’t see them as often. Last year, my congregation sent a midweek email to parents of kindergarteners through fifth graders to let them know which Bible story the children heard the previous Sunday. We offered suggestions for engaging the story, often using ideas from Shine at Home found on the Shine website. We received several notes of appreciation from parents who had been out of town or who had been at church and wanted to continue conversations from Sunday school with their children during the week.
Here are other ways to connect with families and children in your congregation:
- Encourage your congregation to purchase copies of The Peace Table or Shine On storybook Bibles for families so they can read Bible stories at home, especially when they need to be away on Sunday.
- Make a video of yourself reading the Bible story for the upcoming week or a story related to the theme and send it to the families in your congregation. Invite your pastor or another adult in the congregation to be the reader!
- Create a “Back to Sunday School” packet for children that includes Shine’s “Follow the Peace Path” Cards or a copy of The Peace Table Activity Booklet for children to use at home.
- Email or text photos of Sunday school activities to parents and caregivers and invite conversation about the Bible story theme. Include a link to a video or song suggested in Media Connections in the teacher’s guide.
- Set up a resource shelf in your library for families. Feature one or two books related to the Bible story theme in your church’s newsletter. Include a short summary of each book or a note telling why you like the book.
- Send birthday cards to the children in your class—no matter how often they attend. Or send a note to each child before you begin a new quarter. Children love receiving cards in the mail!
One of the best ways to connect with families is to provide opportunities for building relationships. A fun way to get to know parents and caregivers is to have children help plan a time during the Sunday school or faith formation hour when parents, grandparents, or other adults are invited to eat breakfast or have a snack with the children, followed by a Bible story and an activity for all ages. When the weather is favorable, invite all families with children for lunch on the church grounds or to a nearby park. Or you could organize a simple service project, like assembling relief kits, putting together food boxes, or weeding on the church grounds. Encourage people of all ages to work together!
Finally, we can model the value that Jesus placed on children by including them in worship and in other areas of church life. Find out which children enjoy reading scripture aloud and let your worship team know. Connect with your pastor or worship team and suggest some prayers and songs that are familiar to children to include in worship services. You may even want to challenge the congregation to memorize Bible verses alongside the children and feature those verses during worship.
As you seek to connect with families in your congregation, know that your presence and your willingness to share the love of God will build lasting connections and will support children and their families as they grow in faith.
Joyce Peachey Lind, Shine Curriculum Editor
Illustrations by Shelley Dieterichs