One of the biggest parts of any youth ministry is connecting and working with parents. Parents are the lifeblood of any youth ministry, simply because the goal of youth ministry is to reach youth for Christ. What better way to do that than building relationships with parents?

However, parents often don’t see youth ministry the same way. Some see it as free babysitting; others see it as a way to separate the youth from the rest of the church, and yet still more view youth ministry as simply a Christian social time. Almost all of these misconceptions are because parents don’t understand what youth ministry is about, why it exists, and what happens in a youth ministry.

In order to address this lack of understanding, Jeramy Clark wrote After You Drop Them Off. This simple guide is designed to help parents understand the purpose and the necessity of a youth ministry, as well as what goes on there, and how they can get involved.

As a youth minister of more than twenty years, I found a mix of great information and not so great information in After You Drop Them Off.

Let’s start with the not so great first. Clark has several years of experience in youth ministry, and has done a great job of sharing what he’s learned. However, his experiences, his students, and his churches are not the same as every other youth minister out there. So, much of what he writes is simply generic, across the board, information. A lot of his suggestions simply wouldn’t work in the churches I’ve worked with.

That’s not necessarily bad; it’s just not great. Clark has written from his experiences, and has tried to make it applicable to churches and parents all over the country. But that doesn’t always work too well, and it doesn’t work well here either.

On the other hand, there are several great aspects to After You Drop Them Off. I found the chapters on praying for a youth ministry, dealing with disappointment, and constructive criticism especially helpful. I’ve dealt with parents who were disappointed or critical of the youth ministry, for whatever reasons, and it’s never easy handling such situations. Many of the parents I’ve worked with would have benefited greatly from these three chapters.

Here are some brief summaries:

Chapter 6: Praying For A Youth Ministry

In this chapter, Clark lays out the single most important way that parents can support and be involved in a youth ministry. Prayer is key, not only in regard to the students involved, but for the ministry as a whole to be effective in reaching out into the community and areas schools. Parents who can’t be involved in many other areas can easily commit to pray for the youth ministry, providing some much needed assistance to the youth leader and team of volunteers.

Chapter 7: Dealing With Disappointment

I’ve experienced the disappointment of parents many times. Parents may think I don’t spend enough time with their kids in particular. They may not like the changes I make as the dynamics of our ministry changes. Perhaps is simply a personality conflict. A few times, it has been because of a poor choice I made, although I like to think that these are becoming fewer and fewer as I mature in my ministry. How you deal with disappointment can either build up a youth leader or discourage him greatly. Fortunately, I’ve had several of these disappointing experiences in my life turn out to be very helpful. But I know of several youth minsters who are on the verge of leaving ministry because parents have dealt with their disappointment inappropriately. This chapter details some excellent advise on how to express disappointment in a healthy way.

Chapter 8: How To Constructively Criticize A Youth Ministry

Just like the chapter before this one, there are both good and bad ways to express criticism of any youth ministry. How you approach it makes all the difference. In this chapter, Clark offers twenty different suggestions for keeping your criticism constructive. From being on the receiving end of criticism occasionally, I can verify that most of these are extremely helpful ideas.

All in all, Clark has done a pretty good job of presenting youth ministry to parents who may not have any idea of what it is, how it operates, and why. While much of this book doesn’t translate well into every other ministry out there, there are still several portions that are excellent information for parents to know.

As a youth minister, I’m glad I read After You Drop Them Off. It allowed me to see things from a different perspective, helping me to reassess my ministry, making sure that I’m connecting with parents of students as best as I can.

If you have students in a youth ministry, especially if they are middle school or high school age, you would benefit from much of After You Drop Them Off. Grab a copy, read it, and then find a way you can support or be involved in the youth ministry your kids attend. It will help you, your kids, and your church’s youth ministry.

Do you volunteer or otherwise support your church’s youth ministry? If so, how are you involved? If not, are you willing to consider ways you can help out? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading After You Drop Them Off, by Jeramy Clark, you can purchase a copy at Amazon.com.  It is available in both print and electronic formats.  Hopefully, it will be a great tool for you as you strive to be a more deliberate dad!

Disclosure of Material Connection:
Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“