By Steven Ackley
Family ministry is best done when the preschool, kids, and student ministries of the church are all aligned and collaborating with one another. So, what’s the pastor’s role in this task?
Alignment comes when there is support from the top of the organization down and from the the lowest ranking position in the church influencing up. As senior pastor, you are the chief vision caster for your church and carry the most influence, which is why your responsibility to create alignment is essential to the health of your church.
Here are three ways for you to create and champion family ministry alignment in your church.
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Understand and use consistent language throughout your church.
Nothing hurts alignment more than using language inconsistently in different ministry areas. If you announce from stage on a Sunday morning that your kids ministry needs more childcare workers, but your kids ministry actually calls them preschool volunteers, you’ve created a disconnect for those in your church. It may be hard work on the frontend to create this alignment, but it helps your church to hear and read consistent language.
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Engage in your family ministry.
If you have kids or students, then you’re automatically involved. Others in your church will notice your presence and involvement. Now your involvement may seem intimidating to family ministry leaders and volunteers in your church, but try to engage as other parents would. Use this opportunity to further establish alignment in your church.
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Maintain church unity and guard against division.
Regularly assess your church’s ministries to be sure all are on the same page. Healthy ministry alignment requires regular evaluation and readjustment as necessary to maintain clarity.
The alignment of ministries in your church will never be something that is an easy fix or a checklist task that doesn’t have to be revisited. Alignment is a need that must be assessed in an ongoing fashion. As pastor, take responsibility and use your top down influence to create this alignment to best support your church’s family ministry.
Adapted from Training Pathway: Family Ministry. Check out more training videos on Ministry Grid.
Steven Ackley, his wife Emily, and their four kids live out their love for anything sports and Cookout milkshakes in Murfreesboro, TN where Steven serves as the NextGen and College Pastor at LifePoint Church. Steven holds a D.Min. and an MDiv from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
