Monday, February 27, 2006
Undermining the Fathers
I was disappointed at church yesterday. Our church had put together a video of the children's ministry and how exciting things are happening and how parents are supposedly challenged with the changing world and losing touch with their children. At hand was a printed card on how the parents can get more info on how the church can help the parents give their children "a walk to remember" by helping out in the children's ministry.
A friend pointed out how the church sucks in parents to do the children's ministry and I agree: there's too much emphasis on reaching the children rather than reaching men (esp. the fathers).
Rather than draining the parents out with ministry volunteering, why not equip and encourage the parents (esp. the fathers) to lead the family at home since (as they pointed out in the video) church time is at most 3 hours per week. What really kills the family is that children's ministry volunteering takes time not just Sunday mornings but once or twice a year training seminars (usually all Saturday) and once a month status meeting and mini-training and then some prep time required before Sunday, plus the need to be in class early (and stay late). All that to interact with other people's children. How does that make you into a better parent?
How about 1 hour of family worship and another 1 or 2 hours of men's training (with the lower bound of 13 years or so) while the women and (pre-teen) children socialize? Keeps it simple: no need for busy children's ministry activities and no need for extra volunteers. A rite of passage of young men graduating from the women-and-children socializing to men's meeting would be pretty cool (once a month? every Sunday someone turns into a teen?)....
A friend pointed out how the church sucks in parents to do the children's ministry and I agree: there's too much emphasis on reaching the children rather than reaching men (esp. the fathers).
Rather than draining the parents out with ministry volunteering, why not equip and encourage the parents (esp. the fathers) to lead the family at home since (as they pointed out in the video) church time is at most 3 hours per week. What really kills the family is that children's ministry volunteering takes time not just Sunday mornings but once or twice a year training seminars (usually all Saturday) and once a month status meeting and mini-training and then some prep time required before Sunday, plus the need to be in class early (and stay late). All that to interact with other people's children. How does that make you into a better parent?
How about 1 hour of family worship and another 1 or 2 hours of men's training (with the lower bound of 13 years or so) while the women and (pre-teen) children socialize? Keeps it simple: no need for busy children's ministry activities and no need for extra volunteers. A rite of passage of young men graduating from the women-and-children socializing to men's meeting would be pretty cool (once a month? every Sunday someone turns into a teen?)....
