Define the Relationship

Family + Church = Discipleship

Everyone agrees that ministry to parents is vital in every church. The problem is, it's incredibly hard to do it effectively. Building a parent ministry that stands the test of time means shifting the focus from filling pews and giving out information to fostering genuine relationships. It involves creating an environment where parents feel known and supported, not just informed. Parents long to be part of a community that doesn’t just cater to their children’s spiritual needs but also acknowledges their struggles, victories, and everyday realities as caretakers of their children's faith at home. By courageously defining our relationship, we can build a hopeful ministry that brings families and churches together.

This book will… 

• Help pastors cast a vision for parents about what it means to disciple kids and how to actually get there.  
• Help equip youth pastors who don’t have kids/teens of their own. 
• Give church leaders a new way to think about parent ministry and a new philosophy of parent ministry.  
• Provide churches a framework/strategy how to minister to the home. 

Chad Higgins is the parent ministry specialist for Lifeway Students, co-founder for Youth Ministry Booster, national conference speaker, contributing author for multiple curriculums, and most importantly husband to Martha and father to Malia. Chad has served pastorally in churches large and small. He and his family live in Oklahoma and is passionate about seeing families experience joy and connection together for the glory of God.    

Zac Workun serves as the Student Ministry Training Specialist for Lifeway. Zac is one of the co-founders of Youth Ministry Booster, Lifeway Students’ collaboration and training network. He has served the local church in various youth ministry roles for over 15 years. He is a graduate of OBU with degrees in business management and religion and received his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity with a certificate of Baptist Studies. Zac and his wife Karen have two wild boys—Isaiah & Gideon. Connect with Zac on Instagram: @zacworkun 

Lifeway Students Ministry is a full-service provider of student resources, including Bible studies, camps, mission experiences and training events.   Discover Bible studies that ignite spiritual transformation in students' lives and speak to the issues they face. We offer a variety of resources to disciple youth, including short-term Bible studies, girls' ministry resources, and resources for parents of teenagers.  

Lifeway Research assists and equips church leaders with insight and advice that will lead to greater levels of church health and effectiveness. Frequent surveys on today’s church and culture demonstrate our knowledge of the dynamics of ministry today and our understanding of the realities of the culture we live in.