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Parenting Tip: How Student Ministry can help you!

If you're a parent of a teenager you've probably discovered that you might be losing access to them during these tween & teen years.  If I could take a moment and speak to that from the person who they're usually leaving you for, it might be helfpul. (the person in the sense of another influence in their life...not THE person they go to.  It could be the Youth Pastor, a Group Leader, or even a trusted more mature friend, etc.)

Regardless who it is, I learned in college that there are a couple kinds of access that we can have to people (insert your student's name): Relational and geographical.  

One of the ways I think student ministries can help parents is to pick up the slack in the area where the parent may be losing the access and we may be gaining it.  It's usually the "relational" access point.

(Most parents still see their students more than the average youth pastor does...and if not, there might be an unhealthy imbalance in ministry strategy.  We're here to support the parents, not be the parents.) Let's face it, students like hearing other voices besides their parents all the time so if we can echo what parents are teaching (if it's sound and right), it only affirms their leadership and strengthens the bonds of the family structure...while at the same time allowing space for the students to "hear it" from another perspective (access point) they feel conformable exploring. 

So parents, if there is a trusted leader in place who your student looks up to or even just loves hanging out with, get to know them and entrust them with SOME of the access to speak life into your them in a way that you might not have access to at this time.  Also parents, know that it's only a season. 

On a monthly basis I will talk to a middle schooler who's struggling with family communication and two hours later talk to a high school student who's raving about the newly refreshed relationship/friendship with their parent.  The dark ages don't last forever...just a long time, haha. (my attempt to make parents smile!)