From the August 2005 issue of Inside Young Life.
Across the mission, parents are playing key roles in WyldLife. As part of a WyldLife parent support team, parents participate in the ministry in various ways — big and small — and help lighten the load of local staff.
The WyldLife ministry in Mike Miller’s area has been entrusted to an all-volunteer team surrounded by an eager and willing parent support team.
“Having quality parents helping organize behind the scenes has enabled our volunteer leaders to focus on relationships with middle school students,” he said.
Here are some of the ways that his area’s WyldLife ministry — and others like it — have been served by the parent support team:
- Packed meetings with lots of new kids attending each week
- Regular announcements about WyldLife made at PTA, church and other civic association meetings
- Food delivered at the end of club for casual relationship-building with kids and leaders
- Parents praying during club
- Cars greeted by parents and leaders when they pull up, and new parents given information so they feel comfortable leaving their kids
- Club card info added to the area database following each meeting so families stay well-informed
- WyldLife parents serving on committee and as banquet table hosts
Miller also said that it’s common for parents of middle schoolers in suburban areas to expect to get involved in their kids’ activities. Bebe Hobson, in Tampa, Fla., has found that in urban areas, churches often are willing to take the place of overburdened single parents and will gladly fill many of the roles listed above.
Amber Wells, a leader from Arizona, recently described how parents in her area have taken on important tasks. When 100 or more kids began coming to club regularly, there were too many details for her and the leaders to handle alone, so she started a parent support team.
“I sent out a letter and called parents who I knew would want to help support club,” she said. “I enlisted around 30 of them to do a variety of things, from buying supplies for club to doing ‘security’ at club.”
The parents have also helped the ministry outside of club.
“Having a parent support team for our club has created a financial backing for our team and for our club; it has created a liaison between our school faculty and our leaders, and it frees leaders up during club to be with kids,” Wells said. “I would encourage every club to build a parent support team.”
Thoughts on getting started
There is no one “right” way to form and run a parent support team — they should be structured to best serve your needs.
One team was formed to help start a new club. Fifteen moms attended the first parent support team meeting. Each signed up to be on one of four different teams — club food, mailings, club houses or prayer. They met again following the first club to reassess their strategy, and they decided they would simply use e-mail for future communication. The team coordinator monitors all tasks via e-mail and communicates with the team leaders. They found houses for every club, handled the logistics for special events, brought food in at the end of each meeting and mailed postcards to more than 200 families every month with maps to club. And, people prayed.