Help Young Parents Stay Connected

Help Young Families Stay Connected

Having young kids makes it tough to stay connected to the local church. (I know, as I've got a 22-month old and a 5-month old.)

I've found articles like this one encouraging on the topic:

Moms With Hands Full Need the Local Church argues that taking kids to church is a spiritual act. "You are sharing your burdens with the body of Christ and testifying to God’s goodness in a chaotic season."

Keep Taking Kids to Church Even When It Feels Pointless offers encouragement when the chore feels futile. "Even the messiest and most frustrating days are not wasted. Thank God for his grace—and keep it up."

And, I've seen some great churches do cool, supportive things, like:

• Create child friendly areas within the sanctuary
• Provide childcare for small groups, fellowship events and, even, date nights
• Allow the vulnerability parents with inevitably disruptive kids exhibit to create a culture of familial support, burden-bearing and openness at your church.
• Invest in technology like FaithStreet that helps young families, who sometimes struggle to attend as much as they’d like, stay connected to the life of the church.

With FaithStreet, people who miss a Sunday can:

• Rally in Prayer Alongside Friends
• Get a Morning Prayer List
• Do Daily Examen and Reflection
• Get Realtime Notifications When Others Commit to Pray
• Track with Weekly Announcements
• Register for Events
• Give and Track Giving (no more inadvertently missing a month