WHAT IS IT?
This guide helps parents speak courage into the heart of their child. It includes:
HOW DO I USE IT?
TO DESIGN YOUR OWN CARDS, CLICK .WORD OR .PDF BELOW.
M2P Members continue to identify one major pain point as a church leader -> -> -> they desire for parents to own spiritual leadership, but, for a variety of reasons, parents resist. This struggle reigns true regardless of denomination or location.
So we’ve dedicated the next 2 months, March and April, to this theme. In our new 9-part podcast series, How to Prepare Parents for Spiritual Leadership, we offer practical solutions while addressing the struggles. The Toolbox gives parents a literal script to help them learn how to provide healthy, constructive encouragement, and the OPC’s give creative ideas to build a relationship. Later in the month, you’ll receive a partner resource for single parents from Agape Moms.
We’re honored to support you in your role. Thank you for the privilege of a partnership.
Blessings,
The M2P Team
Because of the global pandemic, churches worldwide started or developed an online presence to reach new people. But as gatherings return in-person, leaders have an opportunity to maintain an online ministry with these practical tips. Click “Coaching” to view the video.
WHAT IS IT?
This guide helps parents lead their child/teen well by speaking healthy, constructive encouragement. It includes:
HOW DO I USE IT?
Click “Toolbox” to view the guide.
Play: 2 Ways to Build a Relationship with Your Child
The parenting journey comes with lots of responsibilities, such as tasks and to-dos. In this video, we give 2 creative ways parents can connect with their child through PLAY.
Click “Online Parenting” to view the video, script, media swag, and emails.
How to Inspire Parents to “Lead” their Kids (March 2)
How to Give Parents the Big Picture
How to Give Parents Confidence
How to Give Parents Spiritual Tools. Part 1
How to Give Parents Spiritual Tools. Part 2
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST.
3 Tips to Help Your Families Prepare for Easter (Kids)
Tips to Help Your Families Prepare for Easter (Teens)
Guest Post by Michelle Donnelly, Founder of Agape Moms: Encouraging Single Moms
Do you have families who are intimidated by the thought of discipleship? If so, we created a Family Bible Series that gives them two kid-friendly prompts such as History Tidbits and Fun Facts to encourage independent reading for teens or discussion starters for children. There is also dedicated space for Favorite Words, This Story Inspired Me, and more to give families a place to process thoughts and feelings by writing or drawing. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
In the book of Acts, we get to hear how the Gospel (the good news about Jesus) started moving out from Jerusalem (where Jesus died) to the whole world! We learn how the Church got its start! It’s about God’s work in the world and we’re now a part of that, too. This is His story—“history!” VIEW NOW
In the book of Romans, families learn about unity (togetherness through love) because God wanted the Jews and Gentiles in Rome (and all over the world) to love and welcome each other. From the very beginning, God has been working to build an ethnically and culturally diverse family that’s known for its love. VIEW NOW
We have all been affected by the global pandemic in some form or fashion. Our lives have starts and stops, like watching a show that lags with the little circle scrolling and scrolling. In today’s coaching video, Elisabeth Lee shares the wisdom she learned from her counselor when her life was interrupted four years ago with her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
We have all been affected by the global pandemic in some form or fashion. Our lives have starts and stops, like watching a show that lags with the little circle scrolling and scrolling. In today’s coaching video, Elisabeth Lee shares the wisdom she learned from her counselor when her life was interrupted four years ago with her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
FOR MORE VIDEOS, CLICKING THE COACHING TAB IN THE NAV BAR!
Connect Ministries is back in 2021! And we’re excited to offer M2P Members their *exclusive* package just for you! In just 13 years, Connect Ministries has connected over 2,000 churches with over 500,000 people through community-driven, gospel-centered experiences. They make it easy for leaders to help their church reach more people in their communities.
To view their latest webinar BUILDING TRUST WITH FAMILIES, click HERE.
Stay updated with Connect on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
3 HANDS-ON KIDS ACTIVITIES TO ENJOY AT HOME + FAMILY DEVOTIONAL
WHAT IS IT?
This guide details meaningful activities to help families make lasting memories. Concoct colorful recipes, create art, or engage in worthwhile conversations as a family.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
3 Activities
1 Family Devotional
We’re excited to offer M2P Members this *exclusive* package from our friends at Connect Ministries.
In just 13 years, Connect Ministries has connected over 2,000 churches with over 500,000 people through community-driven, gospel-centered experiences. They make it easy for leaders to help their church reach more people in their communities.
CHECK OUT MORE ON CONNECT MINISTRIES HERE!
To view their latest webinar BUILDING TRUST WITH FAMILIES, click HERE.
Stay updated with Connect on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
WHAT IS IT?
This guide details meaningful activities to help families make lasting memories. Concoct colorful recipes, create art, or engage in worthwhile conversations as a family.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
3 ACTIVITIES
1 FAMILY DEVOTIONAL
8 Personalized Prayers for Athletes ( + 4 blank notes). Ask your parents to write their student’s name on the prayer cards and give it to them.
8 Personalized Prayers for Athletes’ Parents (+ 4 blank notes). Invite parents to step into Philippians 4: 6-8 by exchanging worry for prayer.
Optional: A pre-written email to inspire your parents to lead.
Optional: to design your own prayer cards.
Print and handout. Email to parents. To download, click “Toolbox: Help Parents Lead.”
Parents of Athletes: How to Prepare for Middle School Athletics
Copy/Paste the email below.
Subject Line: How to Prepare Your Student for Middle School Athletics
Dear Parents,
As your child uncovers new interests and hobbies, some of them might discover they like sports. From t-ball to soccer to cheer, sports give students a chance to learn teamwork, character, and exercise. As they develop, they may want to keep going in middle school.
But sometimes, parents aren’t sure of how to prepare them for the next level, athletically and spiritually. Our latest parent video gives you very specific steps to help your child in a good direction. Just click the link below to get started.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/504848321/bfbec28d0a
As your church, we are thankful your family is in the community taking God’s light and love! We are praying for you and continue to support you. Please let me know if you ever need anything.
(Insert Signature Here)
Copy/Paste the email below.
Subject Line: For Parents of Athletes
Today’s video is for a specific group of parents- raising children who play sports. Proverbs 16:3 asks us to “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Did you know God cares about you and your family? As your child discovers what they like and dislike, you may discover God gave your child the ability to play sports.
Because He is loving and kind, He doesn’t ever force Himself into our lives. We have the privilege to invite Him into all areas of our lives, including sports. To learn how to do this, we have a brief video that shows how sports is more than a game. Click the link below to get started.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/504848321/bfbec28d0a
As your church, we continue to support you through the parenting journey. Please let me know if you ever need anything.
(Insert Signature Here)
Parents, if you have a child in sports, we have a quick and encouraging video for you! Learn how to prepare your child for middle school sports starting now! Check your inbox for more.
If your child is involved in sports, your family can make a difference in the community. In less than five minutes, learn how in our new parent video. Check your inbox for more.
Calling on all parents of athletes! Sports of any kind can be more than competition and ribbons. We have an encouraging and inspiring brief video to show you how. Check your inbox for more!
If you have a child in elementary school who is interested in playing for their middle school, our new parent video offers 3 practical steps to encourage them in a good direction. Check your inbox for more.
If you have a son or daughter that loves to play sports, then you know about the games, and you know about the intensity and the hard work and the competition. First, it starts out when they’re three, four, and five, and they’re super cute little jerseys, and they’re on the soccer field, and they’re just running all over the place. And it’s like herding cats, or they might be the little boy that’s out in the center field who’s way more interested in a wildflower than he is in the baseball that just rolled by.
But eventually, they move from that super cute little age into the recreational leagues. And at that point, it gets a little more intense. The parents get a little louder, the coaches get a little stronger, and the competition gets a little thicker, and you have the recreational leagues. And then after that, they can sometimes move into the travel leagues. And that’s when you begin to cut very large checks, and the competition gets super intense, and the parents get really loud.
And so, as a parent of an athlete, one of the things we wanted to give you today was how you can begin to prepare your student for middle school? So we’re going to give you three things you can do today to prepare.
One, research. Look into the middle school that your child plans on attending. Go check out their program, check out, and say, “Hey, what does it look like? What’s the level of competition? Do I know any parents who are there?” Attend a ball game and talk to the parents and say, “Hey, how does this work here at this program and at this level?”
Because here’s what you want to avoid. One day your daughter wakes up, and she says, “Mom, tomorrow is middle school soccer tryouts.” Oh, you respond, “Great. I’m so happy for you. You’re so excited, and you celebrate with her, and then you roll into the tryout, proud of her for going for it.
But you roll up into a tryout where all these other girls have been doing soccer, traveling together for three and four years, and you just didn’t know.
And so you have to tell your daughter, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. So one of the ways, as a parent of an athlete, if your child is beginning to express an interest in sports, is to begin to research the middle school program and where they’re planning on attending.
The second is support. If your child makes the team begin to decide as a family, how are we going to support this coach? How are we going to support this program?
Because as Christ-followers, one of the things you and I are called to do is we’re called to be in the world, not of it, but definitely in it. And he leaves us here because we have the ability to have influence and make a difference and offer love. And so decide as a family, if your child makes the team, how are we going to support this program, decide before you ever get there?
And third is next, make a decision. What kind of parent am I going to be among the other parents? Am I going to be the parent that constantly complains that my kid’s not getting enough playing time? Am I going to be the parent that talks about other parents’ players? Am I going to be the parent that is constantly encouraging even if my kid’s getting playing time or not playing? Am I going to be the parent that speaks positivity into this culture and into this environment? And this matters as parents of athletes, how we as Christ-followers handle ourselves, because in Galatians Chapter Five verse Twenty-two and Twenty-Three, it says, “The fruit of the spirit is love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.”
So I want you to imagine with me the bigger picture that if we as parents of athletes are able to walk into these environments that are intense and competitive, navigate a lot of emotional intelligence and social skills, which is a lot of hard work. It’s teaching our student-athletes some incredible discipline. So if you can imagine Christ-followers showing up into these arenas and offering the fruit of the spirit, offering the love that we’ve been given from Christ, that we have a chance to come in and offer to them.
We have a chance to make a difference in our communities because God has chosen to give your child talent and athletic ability. And if he is fortunate or she’s fortunate enough to make the team, then now your family has a chance to go in, to spend some time researching, spend some time deciding how you want to support the program, and then spend some time deciding how you want to be a parent, among other parents. And as a parent of an athlete, it’s just another great way for you to be able to pass down your faith on the go.
WHAT IS IT?
The world of athletics continues to grow and expand. And as a children’s leader, your families are at the beginning of the journey. So imagine with us. You, as a church leader, inspire and teach your families how to invite God into sports. They embrace the belief that God can use all things including sports to bring God’s love into the world. Then when your families move onto the middle and high school years, they know how to be the CHURCH within your sports community.
This reason is why we created prayer cards designed for sports families. In one easy step, you can help parents lead their children! It includes:
HOW DO I USE IT?
PRE-WRITTEN EMAIL FOR PARENTS
Parents,
We have a special goodie specifically made for you and your child! We’ve noticed how your family is starting the journey of sports. We want to support you and your athlete, so we have Prayer Cards specially designed for you both. They include:
To grab your prayer cards, [INSERT YOUR INSTRUCTIONS HERE].
If you have questions or need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out.
[INSERT SIGNATURE HERE]
CLICK THE PICTURES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PRAYER CARDS
(or HERE for Text-Only to design your own cards)
Well, it’s here! A new year arrives, giving us all the hope that accompanies a fresh start. Sure 2020 came with a punch to the gut, but we got back up and stared it in the face like Rocky Balboa {insert Eye of the Tiger music here}.
Over here, we value a good start and stop.
As we close the books on 2020, the LORD gives us the ability to look back on the last twelve months and infuse our moments of exasperation with gratitude and joy.
As we anticipate 2021, who knows what it will bring, but we are guaranteed God’s goodness and faithfulness at every turn!
Throughout all the starts and stops, He is an Ever-Present Comfort, like the stress ball you squeeze when riding with your teenage driver.
We hope you have a Happy New Year and, as always, it’s our pleasure to partner with you in parent ministry.
~ The M2P Team
WHAT IS IT?
You can inspire parents to lead their kids spiritually with this simple, fun, and practical devotional. Using the alphabet, parents take their child through 26 characteristics of God.
HOW DO I USE IT?
Download the devotional.
Print or email to parents.
To download, click “Toolbox: Help Parents Lead.”
Setting Goals: How to Help Young Children Set Goals
Setting goals may seem to be an activity only for adults or teens, but did you know children can learn to set goals too? Even though they don’t have the abstract muscle yet to understand the full concept, they can start small with a few disciplines. Help parents take baby steps to build confidence in their children through setting goals.
To use, click “Online Parenting: Setting Goals“ to view your OPC, video script, social media swag, and direct-to-parent emails.
How to Lead a Virtual Parent Ministry
How to Virtually Care for Volunteers
How to Adapt Your Current Material into a Virtual Ministry
How to Virtually Help Parents and Children Connect at Home
New podcast episodes every Tuesday!
The winner from our old-school, draw-a-name-from-a-hat M2P Annual Survey is:
from Westerville, Ohio.
Thanks to all our members for sharing your voice with us!
Tech Series Presents: Among Us
Tech Series Presents: Instagram Reels
How to Lead People Well Through Politics
5 Questions to Ask When Serving Families Through Quarantine
New blog every Monday!
