What if we don't have any families present on a Sunday?
Session 2.1 · Note 4
Starting When No Families Are Present
Many churches don't have families present regularly on Sundays, and don't have any church groups for children and young people. You might be in that situation and feel you can't even get started. But you will have contact with children and young people and their families.
Key Ideas
- Maximise the impact of what you do when you do have contact with families - for example festival services, infant baptism and dedication services.
- Prioritise building relationships when you do have contact - welcome them in, make space for conversations and if you can, keep in touch. See session 2 part 2 for ideas you could adapt.
- See session 3 part 3 for ideas about engaging parents and carers in infant baptism or thanksgiving preparation.
- If you have families present at occasional services, see session 3 part 2 for ideas about how to engage all generations in services, and session 2 part 2 for ideas about how to help parents and carers feel comfortable in your service and able to engage with it.
- Build relationships in your community - the next question will help with that.
- Remember the grandparents! You will almost certainly have grandparents and grandparent figures in your congregation. Empower them to help them share God with the children and young people in their own lives. Parenting for Faith has a range of resources which will inform and encourage grandparents and grandparent figures about their role in their grandchildren’s lives as well as giving them practical skills and ideas for sharing faith well, whatever their circumstances:
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