Guest Post by Jason Curry
They are an essential part of youth ministry. And I’m not talking about release forms. I’m talking about parent meetings. As a youth worker, you need to be able to effectively run a parent meeting. Here are 10 tips I have learned over the years:
- Triple Communicate: Email Them. Mail Them. Call Them. You don’t want parents missing a parent meeting because of your lack of communication. Parents are people and they have busy lives. If you communicate clearly you will have them there . . . that is why you are having the meeting in the first place.
- Welcome Them: Have someone on your staff at the door greeting them as they enter the room and hand them the information you are going to cover.
- Create A Good Environment: Going with the rap/hard rock over the sound system is a bad choice. Make sure the room you are in is clear of distractions. If your budget will allow, bottles of water will let them know that you are prepared and want them there!
- Start on Time: If you will make this a habit, parents will get there on time. And by starting on time, you communicate that you believe their time is important.
- Dress to Win: Especially if you are young, and whether you like it or not, many people will make a conclusion of your leadership ability by your appearance. A tux is not necessary, but your cargos and flops probably won’t fly.
- Have a Plan: When they come in to the meeting, hand them the information you want to cover that night, communicate it clearly, and ask for questions. Remember you are there to be informative, not put on a show. Be engaging, but leave your jokes for the students. Parents want the details.
- The Tough Question: The tough question is going to happen. While not all tough questions are asked with bad intent, it seems they are often motivated by one of three things: a parent is trying to prove a point, a parent doesn’t particularly like you, or a parent just wants to grill you in front of everyone. Don’t be afraid to say, “that is a great question, let me think about it and I will respond to you tomorrow.” Remember, you don’t know everything, and you don’t have to! Answer what you can and get the other answers later.
- Be Available: Following the meeting make yourself available to meet parents or follow up with questions. It is great place to meet new parents and schedule your lunch plans for the week with parents you need to connect with.
- Follow Up: Email it. Youtube it. Website it. Have someone on your team record what you say, write it down, and then send it out. This will allow you to be clear in what information you cover. The parents will love it when they are trying to remember what they were supposed to bring to the lock in!
- Be You: They hired you for a reason.
Your calling is to minister to students. You are a million times more effective if you win parents’ trust. Hitting a home run in a parent meeting is a great way to get started.
Jason Curry is the Pastor To Students at The Church at Rock Creek in Little Rock, Arkansas. Jason is also a frequent speaker at Student Retreats, Camps, d-nows, parent conference, college retreats, & churchwide events. You can keep up with Jason at www.jasoncurry.org.
