Back to School, Back to Church!

Late summer and early fall is back to school time. As your church families are gathering all the tools needed for success- pencils, paper, notebooks, and crayons… they are wanting to make sure their children are prepared for the first day of school. Most families will agree that it is important that the schoolyear begin the right way with encouragement and high expectations of learning and growing. Families want to capture the special moments with pictures of their beautiful children as they are so proud they will be entering a new grade at school.

As church leaders, we need to declare and make known to our congregation and our community that our children are our proudest accomplishment and it is our highest job to ensure that we are leading them and guiding them to the kingdom of Heaven!

The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to encourage parents and families to also come back to church. Children need their Bible and church leaders even more than the paper and pencils. They need the tools to become spiritually strong! It is important their lives are filled with encouragement and high expectations of growing in their relationship with Jesus.

I encourage you to start a Back to Church campaign in your community. You can have a special photo wall where families and people of all ages can take a picture and post on social media to encourage others to get back to church. The focus does not have to be just on the children, people need to get back to church at every age! Our church also gives out free backpacks and school supplies after church service. We are able to advertise that we are doing the giveaway and get some of the unchurched to attend a service so that they can get their school supplies. Find ways to pour into the local schools. What better way to reach families than to partner with the schools to reach the needs of our community? The world is pulling hard on our children and families and it is our calling to shine the light of Jesus and be a beacon of hope.