Kids Play a Major Role in Parents Attending a Church

Gen Z is a dominant force. Presently, there are 73 million Gen Z kids in the U.S. and they have an annual purchase power of $1.2 trillion dollars. Millennial parents spend a lot of money on their Gen Z kids. Millennial parents are more likely than older parents to allow a more kid-driven approach to family purchases. And Gen Z kids heavily influence their parents' money decisions. 76% of parents say their kids influence their spending. It's pretty simple - parents like what their children like. Parents buy what their children like. Parents go where their kids want to go. This is true as well when families are looking for a church to attend. They will make their decision based on whether their children like the church or not. The biggest factor is not the pulpit. It's not the women's ministry. It's not the worship. It's not the adult Bible study classes. It's about the experience their children have. If their children answer "yes" to the question that is asked more than any other question at pick-up time (Did you have fun today?), then the parents will choose that church. Time and time again I have had parents tell me, "Our decision to make this our church home was based on how much our kids love coming." With this theory established and proven, churches would be wise to invest a significant amount of their resources and finances for their children's ministry. One area that churches tend to pull back on is the theming elements in their children's area. They feel like the money could be spent more wisely somewhere else. I would disagree. When you invest in your children's ministry facilities, you are making a big statement to parents. Without even saying anything, you are showing them that children are a big deal at your church. When parents evaluate your ministry and come to the conclusion that children are a major priority, they will keep coming. If you are in children's ministry, I can't emphasize enough how important your ministry is. Your ministry is the deciding factor in families coming back. You have the opportunity to influence not just the children's ministry, but the entire church as well. You have the privilege to build not only the children's ministry, but the entire church. My prayer is that we will create children's ministries that are so effective that kids are dragging their parents to church. After all....a child shall lead them...