Parent-led Home Group

Your name and church
Elise Trim, Network Vineyard Reading

How did you use the Parenting for Faith materials?  
We used the Parenting for Faith course in a Life group setting run by parents.

Why did you choose to use the sessions like this?
This was the most accessible way for our parents. It was low pressure, as everyone was learning together and had their own experiences to draw from and share.

What day and time did you choose and how often?
The parents met weekly, I can’t remember which day!

Did you have to adapt the material to make it work for your sessions? If yes, can you tell us what you did?
No, it was run as expected.

What went well?
The most recent group really valued the community that it created. They were excited to be on the journey together and to continue sharing their stories and supporting each other.

What didn’t go so well?
The group was run in evenings, so not all parents were able to come along together. Some parents came on alternate weeks.

Would you use the material like this again?
Yes, I’d love to do it at a time where some child care could be provided to allow parents to do it together!

Do you have any top tips for others who might want to use the sessions like this?
This is a great way of getting parents to take ownership of it, rather than expecting it to be run by children’s leaders. Make sure parents go in ready to share and learn from each other – this isn’t a static class it’s very much interactive! Also, don’t be limited to only parents of ‘children’. We had parents of twenty somethings who also found it really helpful in giving them tools to interact with their adult children as well.