A new school year is about to begin, which is an amazing opportunity to reach and connect with kids and families in your faith community who will very quickly have the following truths thrust upon them:
Both of these truths present opportunities for your church. A study back in 2015 for psychologicalscience.org found that we are more likely to follow through with goals if we start on a Monday rather than a Thursday[1]. We have certainly found this to be true with families as they begin the school year each fall. August and September are like the start of a new week or new season. The school year culture creates structure and focus like no other time in the year for families with young kids. So, the question we should be asking ourselves in the church is: How can we make the most of this moment?
Here are a couple of great ways your church can make the most of the fall seasonal start:
School Year Kickoff Sunday
Design something special for the beginning of the school year’s first Sunday. This could be the start of a new sermon series with specific topics of interest to parents and grandparents. Advertise a fun give-a-way for kids or families that might include a flyer with more info on upcoming events and activities. Engage some local food trucks for after worship or host a pancake breakfast before service. Offer field games on your church’s lawn that families can participate in together. Invite families to come that Sunday with their child wearing their new school backpack to be prayed over during worship. Consider inviting all teachers, administrators, and other school staff to stand in worship – to be prayed for and celebrated over. Launch a school supply drive to help outfit classrooms in your local schools. You might even have a prayer for the school year printed on a magnet or table topper families can use in their homes. These are just some ideas for a Sunday focus that could become an annual tradition of showing your community you care about kids and your local schools.
Spiritual Formation Events
Plan engaging opportunities for families throughout the school year. At Resurrection, we focus on the faith essential of prayer on a Sunday in September, with our 1st graders taking part in the Lord’s Prayer that they’ve been reciting and memorizing throughout their Kindergarten year. In October, we give every 3rd grader a Bible (in worship). Then, in March, we invite 5th graders to serve as ushers, greeters, etc. on a special Sunday in worship. With each of these Milestone Events, we have a lunch, retreat, or event outside of worship with both child and their grown-up for fun and learning together.
Messaging to your community the importance of the school year start can help build a rhythm of spiritual formation for families. When they begin to fill out their calendar of commitments to school, church programs and events should be in hand as well. This approach helps families establish those rhythms and grow in your community.
Over the years, I’ve witnessed church leaders (even myself at times) bemoaning the busyness of the family calendar and how church seems to slide down the list of priorities. It is critical for us to match the energy of the school calendar so that our church engagement compliments their educational experience rather than working against it. Seek specific weekends or breaks where your church can fill a need for families. In our community, we offer a family retreat over the Fall Break and a family mission experience over Spring Break. When we understand the context of our families’ school year rhythm, we can begin to see opportunities to engage their lives for spiritual growth and discipleship. Parents are often just waiting for their church to guide and support them in this way – especially when the school year begins.
Jason Gant is a licensed local pastor in the United Methodist Church and leads Resurrection’s ministry with children and families across all of our locations, including online. You will often find him dreaming of new ways to do effective ministry…or way out on a mountain stream fly fishing! He is married to Scharme, and they have two teenage daughters.
[1] https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/minds-business/why-monday-is-the-best-day-for-setting-new-goals.html#:~:text=Research%20in%20Psychological%20Science%20suggests,Monday%20rather%20than%20a%20Thursday.