This ministry is designed to equip parents/guardians to lead their student spiritually. These tasks are accomplished by equipping parents to collaborate with the church’s children and youth workers to reinforce the biblical truths being taught each week.

Strategy:

• Serve as the ministries discipleship/educational resource person to parents.
• Collaboration with the Family Ministry Council.
• Collaboration with Sunday school director and Youth Pastor to equip parents as disciple-makers.
• Integrate Children into the larger church community. Help foster an “extended family” atmosphere where all ages are valued and contribute.
• The Family Ministries Pastor will be involved in the community, seeking out relationships with those who do not know Christ. Modeling a missional lifestyle.
• Develop special educational and training projects such as camps, retreats, and study seminars for students and their families.
• Implement a discipleship strategy that facilitates the development of believers at every age and stage in life to develop into fully mature, devoted followers of Christ. This should include mid-week experiences. (A.W.A.N.A, VBS, etc.)
• Develop and implement a church-wide strategy to equip families to be the primary disciple-maker for their students. (ex. Parent Empowerment quarterly events)

Biblical Rationale:

Scripture points to the family as God’s primary vehicle for faith formation. In Genesis 18:17-18, God gives Abraham his specific instructions for how he is to start a generational movement that will bless all the nations. The Lord says, “For I have chosen him (Abraham) so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." Abraham’s job was to make his family a discipleship center! That was the God-ordained starting point for His plan to fill the earth with worshipers. Then in the Great Commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5 and following, we find this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts.” At this point, this command that Jesus says is the most important one of all is completely in the abstract. It is a fair question for the follower of Christ to say, “so what do I do with this command? Where do I start in real life?” The next verse answers the question. “Impress these commands on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home…” The first action step of the Great Commandment is for families to pass the faith to the next generation. Why is that so important? Because God has ordained the family to lead a movement of multi-generational faithfulness so that the world will be filled with worship. 

Parent Empowerment Training Objectives

1. Provide training for parents that will enable them to help transform the lives of their children so that they look more like Christ
2. To help parents become the primary disciplers of their children
3. To teach parents how to pass on their faith to the next generation
4. Leverage Mount Calvary Baptist Church ministries and programs to meet the critical needs of MCBC parents and children
5. Help ensure that children are active participants in MCBC ministries
6. To form an active, supportive community of parents in MCBC
7. To help to facilitate productive lines of communication between MCBC parents and their children
8. To help equip parents to facilitate holistic child rearing