One of my favorite rooms on a LOGOS evening is the kitchen. There's a buzz about that place-I've seen it in churches all over no matter the size of the program or the sophistication of the meals. In my church we've had a year of a busted dishwasher, a broken hot water heater, hurt (and healed!) feelings, deeply personal stories, and rounds of the flu. Too many people some nights and not enough people other nights. And yet there's a common purpose (to deliver dinner on time!) and always a welcoming atmosphere for those seeking a place to serve at LOGOS. Parents, retirees, grandparents, young adults. Pastors, accountants, stay-at-home parents, police officers, teachers, unemployed.
Why is there an expectation that a parent (or grandparent) from each family participate in LOGOS? It's not because lots of people are needed to run the ministry, though that is certainly true. Parental participation is an expectation because we believe that the partnership between the church and home is the best way to nurture young disciples of Jesus Christ. Children and youth benefit from this partnership. Parents benefit. The family as a whole benefits. The older and younger adults of the church benefit, too.
Parents are more motivated to engage in LOGOS when they understand that their participation matters and why it matters-that their involvement impacts the spiritual development of their child. So tell them that it matters and why. And then help them find a way to participate. LOGOS provides an opportunity for parents to volunteer where they are gifted, interested, and available using an intentional and biblical process of inviting people to answer a call from God to serve. Read more about that process in "Defining LOGOS: Understanding the Why of LOGOS Ministry." Read more about the importance of the family investment in "LOGOS Administration."
When parents are present at LOGOS, their children see the importance of doing church together. Also, parents can share, within the Christian community, their stories and struggles. Relationships develop and grow, fostering faith and energizing the church. All good.