There’s one thing you can do to help you, your student, and your family all grow spiritually.
I have worked with hundreds of volunteers in youth ministry, and overall, the best category of volunteers I have worked with have been parents.
If you haven’t considered serving in the youth ministry at your church, you should. Here’s why it’s a win for you and your family.
More than ever, students need the support and encouragement of adults. You could make a major difference in the lives of students. Beyond the benefits of helping others, here are 3 reasons why it will directly benefit you to serve.
- You will be more connected to your students’ spiritual life
When our kids are young, every aspect of their life is closely connected to ours.
Socially, their relationships are more dependent on us.
Physically, we guide them through the stages of change they experience.
Emotionally, we provide the care and concern they need in the highs and lows of growing up.
Spiritually, the foundations of their faith are laid upon the patterns we establish in our homes.
Something happens as our kids get older, we become increasingly disengaged.
I’ve noticed…when our kids are in elementary the parent/teacher conferences participation rate is around 100%. When our kids are in middle school, it’s around 50-75%. When our kids are in high school, it’s less than 10%.
This indicates a typical parent’s level of engagement in their kids’ lives as they get older. In the thousands of families I’ve worked with, it’s common that the older our kids become, the less engaged we are with them. Some of this is a good thing. We want our kids to become independent from us.
Socially we want them to learn how to form strong, healthy relationships.
Physically we want them to be strong and have healthy habits.
Emotionally we want them to be well balanced.
Spiritually we want them to be hungry for God on their own.
But what I would call “spiritual independence” takes much longer. And we must stay MORE engaged in this area, unlike the other three.
Most important in this era we live in is how we stay engaged in our kids' spiritual lives. We cannot afford to check out in this area. Click To Tweet
By serving, you will stay MORE connected to your kids’ spiritual life, not LESS.
- You will grow spiritually
One of the most effective ways to see your own spiritual growth is by serving. If you serve, you will grow. It’s a guarantee I will give you. Serve, and you will grow!
Growth comes through a combination of attaining knowledge, living out through experience, and overcoming resistance.
Going to church worship experiences is a good start, but notice that it only fits one (knowledge) of those three things needed for growth. When you serve, you add the other two elements: living out through experience and overcoming resistance.
Many parents find themselves stuck in a rut spiritually and don’t know how to snap out of it. My simple answer is: SERVE! This can open up so many doors to grow in your faith.
- Your family will benefit from your involvement
Serving has so many great byproducts. Your involvement in the youth ministry will affect not only you but also your family in a positive way.
The biggest reason most parents don’t volunteer is that they claim to be too busy. But from what I’ve seen, it’s busy people who get things done. I would suggest to you that you are investing in your family’s spiritual health by investing time in your church youth ministry.
Youth ministries are always looking for volunteers. It could be an up-front role or behind-the-scenes, but regardless your investment into others’ will come back many times over into you and your family!
Two FREE resources for you as a parent:
- Helping your family navigate faith and sports. Listen to my interview with the chaplain of an NFL team.
- Helping you navigate the Faith and Science discussion with your student. Read this blog post.
Geoff Eckart, CEO
Never The Same
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