How to Get Parents to Visit Your Ministry — And Get Excited!

Sometimes the only interaction I get with parents is when they drop off or pick up their children from the kids church facility. Even then, many parents are in a rush to get into the worship service or to get to lunch. On my part, I find it challenging too to visit with parents when kids are running amok. Still I do want to minister to the whole family, not just the kids. I do believe that we children’s pastors need to constantly reach out to parents and grandparents to build a strong spiritual network around children. So how do you get them to come in and stay awhile?
Hold the Bible Bucks Store at the end of class. Kids will linger because they want to shop and you’ll get a chance to get to know the parents. It’s so great to have this time with new parents especially.
Have an open house! The school does it, so can you. Have an open house on a Wednesday night or a Sunday morning. Make sure everything is tidy and invite parents to take a tour to see a new feature or a wall of displayed kids art work.
Host a kids’ comedy club. It’s like dinner theater but the kids have small magic acts and skits. They can also tell jokes, sing or dance. Parents love to attend events that feature their kids.
Present a dinner theater. Keep the dinner simple, a hot dog dinner works wonderfully! Let kids put on a play or act out scenes from the Bible. Dinner theater requires some practice though so plan ahead for this event.
Setup a family movie night. All you need is a projector DVD and a good selection of movies. I can’t tell you how popular this is in my kids church. Not all parents stay but many of them do.
With a little creativity, you can build greater ties with your parents and grandparents. What a great time to get to know your families, old and new!