Have you noticed that while the kids in your club may be excited about the program, it is sometimes a little harder to get parents on board? Some churches struggle getting parents to actively work with their children on their memory work at home, while other ministries find it hard to get parents to even bring their children to club or church. The ideal scenario would be parents working regularly with their children helping them to not only memorize but internalize the Biblical truths they are being taught in club time or church, while actively supporting the church ministry. Realistically, the hectic pace of life alone can make this a very difficult goal to attain. Parents need all the help they can get, and it is the local churches’ responsibility to help parents to fulfill the biblical command to bring up their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

So, what can you do to encourage parental involvement in your Kids 4 Truth club, and, most importantly, how can you encourage their involvement in the spiritual training of their children? Here are some ideas to that may help you. Please post other suggestions or comments you may have.

·         Excitement starts from the top. Pastors and church leadership should have a good understanding of the program as well as an excitement for the ministry if enthusiasm is to spread throughout the congregation.

·         Keep your parents well informed

1.       Have an open house at the beginning of your club year and explain the program carefully to the parents (A special Q&A time is always helpful.)

2.       Send home reminders to parents that show what their child is working on and what they should be working toward. (You can download and print out parent information packets, parent packet preformatted labels, and progress charts from the EquipU site under downloads section).

·         Reward attendance and memory work in ways that parents will notice.

1.       Reward children for simply attending club on a regular basis, especially if you have a lot of bus children. Many times local restaurants or stores will be willing to donate gift certificates that can be used for special awards.

2.       Mail or give children postcards for birthdays, if they miss a club night, or just as an encouragement for a job well done. Parents notice special touches. (Pre-printed postcards are available for purchase on the Online Store, and are an easy way to make a personal touch.)

·         Have special programs or parent nights.

1.       Having a parent night where children are rewarded if a parent attends is a great incentive, and parents will get the opportunity to see what happens during a club night.

2.       Get children up in front of the church often so that parents and church members can be encouraged by progress made during club time. Simply singing one or two songs learned during club time or having a few kids reciting memory work is an easy way to accomplish this without a lot of extra time or effort.

3.       Have a special parent program at the end of the year or for holidays. This is a great chance to present the gospel to unsaved parents as well as a great time for church leadership to emphasize parents working with children at home.

Please share ideas and suggestions you use in your ministry to encourage and develop parental involvement in your club.  

 We did a k4t night at our Sunday Evening church service.  The kids practiced the songs as we always did in k4t.  Then one of the leaders wrote out a script for the service.  We ( the leaders) ask questions and the children answered the questions and gave the verse.  It went very well.  After the service we had a reception for the parents and children.  Next year will invite the children going into k4t.

The beginning of the year we have a kick off. Meeting with all the parents and workers- tellling them what it expect, etc.  Helping them to understand the program and how they can help their child suceed in the program.  Letting them know that they can always get a hold of one of us if their is a problem or if they just have a question.  Being readily available is the best help to them.

 One of the way that I have noticed that works well with getting parents involved is by using the take home notes. These take home notes are given out every week and helps the parents know where their child is in his book and encourages the parent to help their child complete the assignments for the week. An example of the document which we use is below. We shrink this document down to fit 2 to 4 of these on the one 8 1/2 X 11 piece of paper. 

Working with Discoverers (3-5 yr.olds), you will find that you heavily rely on parental participation.  Our first year many children did not regularly bring their truth booklet or their standard to club.  The second year we began to reward the children by giving them one "gold" coin for doing each of the following things:  attending, arriving on time, bringing their truth booklet, bringing their standard, and bringing a tote bag that was provided for them.  The children enjoyed receiving their coins from a decorated treasure chest.  They practiced counting as they dropped their coins into their own paper treasure chest.  The paper treasure chests were made from a laminated file folder with a window cutout so the coins could be seen.  The file folder was decorated to look like a treasure chest, too.  Several times during the year the children with the most coins were awarded prizes. This year we may also reward a coin to each child that comes prepared to say at least one section.  The parents seemed to appreciate the treasure chests and the excitement that was expressed by their children as they counted their coins.  The children (3-5 yr. olds) were totally dependent on their parents to earn any coins at all.  The treasure chests and coins worked!  Most weeks all the children brought their truth booklet, their standard, and their tote bag.  We didn't have as many children arrive late either.

Most Discoverers (3-5 yr.olds) are unable to communicate to their parents or teachers what they have been prepared to say or what they need to work on for the following week. Our church is using K4T as a paced program during the school year. In order for the Discoverers to stay on track to finish the truth booklet, we communicate with the parents to let them know what the children need to be prepared to say each week. At the beginning of the year, the parents receive the schedule for the whole club year. For each club night, it is noted what the child needs to say for that night. As an extra reminder, a note is sent home the week before each new truth is started. The note lists all the dates for reciting the new truth and the specific sections that will be listened to each night. Included with the note is a K4T coloring page with the symbol that matches the new truth.