The Three C's of Family Ministry
... and God's right to tell me how to live; this week on the podcasts.
Have you ever tried searching for stock images of “family”? Every picture is the perfect, Instagrammable family, presenting well but hiding the chaos that happens in every home. You and I know that this is not the reality. Yet the parents in our churches can feel the pressure, not only to present as Pinterest-worthy in their public life, but then to sit at home anxiously wondering what they are doing wrong when their experience resembles The Simpsons more than Bluey.
Good thing that there are quick and easy answers you’ll get by listening to these podcasts and buying my short course online.
Ok… that was facetious.
The complex answer involves walking alongside families as they do this messy thing called “life”, providing them with the pastoring, shepherding and community that they need. In my church, we say that all ministry is long-term, low-key and relational. Or, to quote Eugene Peterson, Family Ministry, like all discipleship, is a long obedience in the same direction.
To different extents, both podcasts this week address this topic. Here’s what you can expect to hear.
Cross Formed Kidmin Podcast
As a children’s or youth minister in a church, pastoring families in your congregation is an essential part of your role because the household is an essential sphere of discipleship. On this week’s episode, Hunter, Ryan and I tackle the topic of Family Ministry head-on and come up with the three C’s of Family Ministry.
Communicate
Child discipleship is a partnership between church and home. The greater the alignment between these two worlds, the greater the impact on the child’s faith formation. You want the parents in your church to know what you are doing, what you are teaching, and how you are fostering faith in their children.
QUESTION: How do you communicate with your parents to let them know what’s going on in the children’s ministry?
Contact
If child discipleship is a partnership, then Family Ministry is not just about telling families what you are doing, but hearing from them about what they’re doing. How are they going? What are the joys and challenges of family life? How can you pray for them? How can you resource them for the ministry that only they can do?
QUESTION: How do you hear from your parents to find out what’s going on in their family life?
Coach
Alongside the regular rhythms of ministry, there will be times to particularly equip families with the skills, conversations and resources they need to disciple their children at home. Running seminars, suggesting reading and listening material, or facilitating co-learning spaces for parents may be some ways to coach the parents in your church for their life of faith.
QUESTION: What do your parents need to parent well, and how can you facilitate this equipping?
Check out the full conversation here or in your favourite podcasting app.
The Shock Absorber Podcast
As promised, the first episode for 2026 came out this week with Joel McMaster and I touching on a range of subjects. Joel shares about his summer holiday project and rearranging his kids rooms, which leads us to talk about the difference between Authoritative vs. Authoritarian parenting, the right use of authority and power, and why it is important for children to hear their parent’s ask for forgiveness.
We also talk about Cambridge Dictionary’s word for the year (“parasocial”), why we’re drawn to parasocial relationships with celebrities and AI Chat-bots, and, by contrast, what an “abiding” relationship with Jesus looks like.
Check out the full conversations in the links below.