Reaching Unchurched Families of Preschoolers
Fewer and fewer of the Generation Alpha (our preschoolers today) are growing up in families that regularly attend church. This means that more and more, it is likely you will have preschoolers in your Mission Friends group whose parents did not grow up in church or do not attend church now.
Consider this a wonderful opportunity to reach out to these families and show them the love of Christ in action.
Tips for Reaching Unchurched Parents of Preschoolers
- Be welcoming and grateful each time the preschooler attends, even when attendance is irregular.
- Help parents feel like their preschooler belongs.
- Along with knowing the preschoolers’ names, learn the parents’ names also. Become able to greet them by name.
- Connect these parents with other parents of preschoolers in your church. It can be as easy as introducing a mom to another mom when they pick up their preschoolers from Mission Friends.
- Foster a sense of community by asking the parent to be part of a group project of your Mission Friends, such as a Helping Others activity.
- Invite parents to family events that are planned for your church, such as a churchwide Valentine’s Day dinner or upcoming Easter events.
- Avoid awards that are based solely on attendance, as preschoolers have very little control as to whether they attend.
- Share resources for families provided in Mission Friends Leader by giving each family a copy of “Mission Friends at Home for Babies, Ones, and Twos;” “Mission Friends at Home;” and the Families on Mission page.
- Don’t assume that parents understand terms used at church, such as Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.
- Be aware of small group opportunities in your church to point these parents for greater connections with others and growth in their faith journey.
- Be intent on fostering relationships, which will lead to opportunities to share your faith.
Joye Smith is the WMU preschool ministry consultant.
