Family Ministry Blog
Is Your Church Thriving or Aging?
Thriving churches engage busy families. Watch this one-minute clip in which I explain one of the reasons that’s getting harder. Every church is grappling with the same two challenges when it comes to reaching and discipling busy families.
Are Local Families Finding Your Church Online?
The bad news: Almost none of the young families in your area Googling felt-need topics find your church, even though you probably have just the kind of wisdom, support and community they most need. The reason: Your newly designed, nicely branded site lacks the content...
Is Your Church Meeting These Top Family Felt Needs?
Multiple choice question: What are the most common felt-need topics busy families search online? A. Spiritual concernsB. Marriage/Relationship concernsC. Parenting concernsD. Health concernsE. It depends on the home The answer is E...
Is Your Leadership Team Making This Big Mistake?
I facilitated a two-year innovation dialogue on how to reach and disciple busy families with leaders from large and growing churches. One problem we uncovered was this: When you say Family Ministry most church leaders think Children’s Ministry. Big...
How Do You Measure Family Ministry Impact?
A common question I’m asked by pastors is “How to measure the impact of family ministry?” I usually recommend the same type of measures used for other efforts. “How do you measure whether people apply your sermon?” I ask with a sly grin. An awkward silence...
Does Posting Sermon Titles Engage Busy Families?
Imagine every family within ten miles of your church saw a social media post about your next sermon series - the most relevant to young families ever. The hard truth is this: They won’t care. They’ll scroll past it without a pause. But you knew that...
Young Adults Leave Most Churches. Not Yours. Right?
You’ve probably encountered a wide range of estimates on how many young adults leave the church after high-school graduation. The most reliable, in my view, is Christian Smith’s National Study of Youth and Religion - a longitudinal study of a representative sampling...
Google gives $10k per month in ads to churches. Got yours?
Did you know that Google offers up to $10k per month in advertising value grants for non-profits? The grants can be used for pay-per-click ad campaigns, a nice option for churches with little budget for advertising to reach young families or to expand the reach of...
5 Great Ideas To Make Thanksgiving Mean More Than Football And Turkey
Evangelical families are failing to win and keep many of their own children in the Christian faith. How can churches become intentional about spiritual formation at home and how do we move towards integrated...
Having Kids Drives Wayward Sheep Back To Pews
There are several factors that drive children who grew up in the faith away from church: college, moving away from home, or starting a career. But many who leave the church return when they form a family of their own. To some degree, the church-growth movement of the...