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It’s that time of year again. Fall is knocking on our doors and school is about to begin! Family schedules ramp up, calendar dates are filling in fast, and activities seem to be popping up all over. Not to mention extras like parent groups, sports, school functions, etc. the list goes on! Aren’t you tired just thinking about it? Keep reading for great ways to stay connected to your church during the crazy school months!
Whether you have a child just starting school for the first time or you’re a college student moving out on your own across the country, you’ll find it harder to stay in that ‘normal’ routine, especially when it comes to attending church.
We know how important it is to consistently be fed spiritually and to have regular connection with your church family, these are things that God has placed a high priority on! We want to help you to accomplish this, even during the midst of a busy school schedule.
What Does It Mean To Stay Connected To Your Church?
Church connection refers to the relationships and bonds that are created as we participate in our local church body. What contributes to building these connections? Things like participating in worship services, engaging in church activities, serving others and growing in your faith.
What are the benefits of church connection? Church connection encourages spiritual growth, provides emotional support to people of all ages, and it gives us a sense of belonging in the family of God. Church connection provides us with a nurturing community where people can experience life together, and support and encourage one another in Jesus’ love.
The Impact Of A Shift In Your Routine
As you can see, church connection happens as we participate and engage in the life of our church family. So how do we continue to do that during the school year when we are faced with a complete shift in our routines? Schedules and busyness quickly seem to overwhelm us and suddenly we are falling out of our regular rhythms. Sometimes that can even affect the regularity of our church attendance.
Take heart, we’re here to help. We’re going to offer you five practical and creative ways to make sure you keep connected to your church family, even during the school year!
5 Ways To Stay Connected To Your Church During The School Year
1. Intentionally Volunteer
Serving others is a great way to be connected in your church. Look at your church calendar and find ways that you can serve. Look for events that will coordinate with your family’s schedule.
Find ways that you can serve together as a family! What about being greeters or offering morning hospitality at your church on one Sunday in the fall?
Write it down. Mark it on your calendar. Make it a priority so it will stick. Share it with your family! It’s also very important that if you sign up, you show up!
2. Invite Another Family (Who Also Have Kids In School) Out For Coffee
Find another family with kids going through the same busyness of the school year. Gather together for a time of coffee, connection, and encouragement. Be creative about when you set your get-together. After a school event? Sunday after service? Right after school one day or a Saturday afternoon?
Take the opportunity to share prayer requests and frequently check in with each other by text, phone, or email, keep that connection alive!
3. Stay Informed!
Make sure your family is on your church newsletter or bulletin list so that you can stay up to date with what’s happening at your church. Knowing the prayer needs of others, and supporting the activities & meetings of your church, even if you can’t physically attend is a great way to participate in the ‘body life’ of your church.
Updating your information in your church directory or database ensures that people can connect with you. Have a new cell phone number or a new email at college? Make sure others know!
Read and be engaged on your church’s social media pages. This is a good point of connection if you can’t physically be somewhere. Many times you can even see pictures of the activities that you missed, the next best thing to being there!
Most churches these days live stream their worship services online or have recordings of them. This is the perfect way for you to fit the service into your schedule and watch together as a family. Participate in the worship, listen to the message, and respond to the Word, even from your living room!
4. Inform Others!
It’s important that you are staying connected with your church family by letting them know what’s going on in your life. You can take the lead in reaching out with texts, emails, or messages when you are not able to be there personally.
Why not send out your own mini newsletter in an email to let others in your church family know that you haven’t abandoned them? Invite them to be engaged in the activities of your family by informing them with pictures, blurbs & outcomes. Let them know how they can be praying for each of you.
Make sure to let them know you appreciate their support and your desire to stay connected with them. If you have a college student, invite your church family to send cards, texts, and calls. Care boxes for college students are also a great way for a church family to show love to someone far away.
5. Look For Christmas/Holiday Opportunities To Be Involved As A Family
Be purposeful as you plan out your holiday schedules. Block out dates that you know you’ll be involved in with school functions, but then make a priority to block out special events and services to be involved in at your church.
Model this priority for your children so they can see the importance of being an active part of a church family. Get them excited about it, make a plan, and follow through.
Show your kids the opportunities available and ask them to choose activities with you. What about finding ways to connect with another family and do a service project together?
Making Church Connection A Priority
Staying connected with our churches during busy seasons of our lives boils down to choosing to make it a priority. Think about different things to try. Step out and do something you’ve never done before, talk to someone new, ask for prayer, invite someone to a school activity, and share your lives!
If you are a college student and far away from home, visit a local church body and see if you can make connections there. They just might be waiting to shower love on a lonely college student!
The Lord designed us to live out our faith in community, not alone! So no matter what time of year it is we should be thankful that we have the gift of our church family which gives us the connection to be part of God’s family.
Thanks for reading!
Read More:
How To Host A Community Back To School Bash
