Last month I focused on techniques that largely help create context for teaching adults. This month we switch gears and talk about techniques primarily helpful for those committed to discipleship of our kids.
We don’t train children in isolation; any level of effectiveness involves recognizing the child’s environment beyond the walls of your classroom. Optimal discipleship looks like a partnership between the home and the church.
Consider these points for creating a healthy partnership:
- Connect with parents in simple ways, always remembering we’re all in this together. Our methods should never involve tactics of guilt or coercion; we champion parents and seek ways we can support them as the primary disciplers of their kids.
- Are there milestones or sacred rituals you can create to more visibly connect the home and church? (This month’s video raises ideas.)
- Look for simple steps to give families a weekly win in this process. (See this month’s video for the “take home turtle” idea.)
Resources and Links by Lee Ann Alexander
Teaching to Transform Hearts: This book makes the case for reviving the teaching ministry of the church. It challenges us to assess our current teaching methods and effectiveness. And it gives us a wealth of strategies for breathing new life into the classrooms of our churches. As we do so, we follow Jesus’ foundational call to “go therefore and make disciples . . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20, NKJV).
More Than Grasshoppers: Who are you? This age-old question haunts people of every walk of life as we seek to understand our identity and purpose. This book answers that question in a fresh, engaging approach. Theological topics such as being made in the image of God, navigating flesh and spirit tensions, and living out holiness in a healthy body image and in our social media are tackled in an easy-to-read, non-technical format.