Data tells us that one group that churches are successfully engaging with is families with very young children.
According to the Talking Toddlers report*, 75% of parents of under fives have contact with a church through children’s activities.
If you are a parent of a pre-schooler…
It’s likely that you’re struggling to think strategically about evangelism. (It’s alright to laugh out loud at that statement.) Simply coping at a basic level frequently feels like a challenge and first-time parents can add a bundle of confusion into the mix. And that is the reason why this is the golden opportunity for reaching your fellow parents. You are all feeling groggy, dazed and confused. The difference between you and the others is that you have Jesus Christ and His church walking this journey with you. So when your church opens its doors to the other young families in the community offering warmth, care, cake and clean toys; they come. And the data says they keep coming: 86% of families of under fives who come to church activities come regularly.
This isn’t primarily about whether or not you are part of a church toddler group. Please know that this is a life stage when parents are usually building a local network of friends, because suddenly it’s hard to travel far with young children. Friends need to be local. Friends need to know what it’s like to have a little whirlwind dominating every waking (and sleeping) moment. Make friends and care for them enough that you can join with Paul in saying: ‘Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well’ (1 Thess. 2:8).
If you are a church leader…
Remember that 40% of practising Christians in Great Britain say they came to faith under the age of five. Both the Bible (Deuteronomy 6:1-4, Proverbs 22:6) and developmental studies tell us to pay close attention to those first years as they disproportionately shape the following years. Let’s not leave these children to their parents alone, but encourage their families to engage with our churches.
When parents who are on the edge of church things were asked why they came to pre-school church activities, the most popular three answers were all about the child. Modern parents make decisions with their child in mind. So, as with all ministry, reaching families with young children is a team game. We will need to find those with experience of young children to ensure we meet their parents’ expectations.
We need our events to cater for young children, but once we get the family through our doors, it is the parents we reach. Out of all the fringe parents who have stepped into a church building at least once in the last year, 84% said they felt welcomed by us. And the majority of those parents who had never had contact with us before said that our events helped them to explore their faith.
So please stop and consider – has my church been focused enough on reaching the under fives and their parents with the gospel? The data suggests it might represent your best opportunity to see people brought to faith in Jesus!
