Originally published in the Gwinnett Daily Post on August 21, 2026

For many parents, one of the hardest questions to answer about helping their children in school is also one of the simplest: What do I do?

Leaders Adam Hilderbrandt and Adam Witter at Lawrenceville First United Methodist Church say they hear that question repeatedly from parents across the Central Gwinnett cluster. Rather than expecting families to come to them, they decided to bring support directly into the schools.

Through its Parents First Initiative, the church partners with local schools to offer free, 10-week parenting workshops based on the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s Raising Highly Capable Kids curriculum.

Rooted in 40 developmental assets — research-backed building blocks shown to improve children’s academic success, relationships and long-term outcomes — the program equips parents with tools while fostering a community of support.

The idea for the program began after church leaders met with school administrators who described a common challenge.

“A principal we spoke with told us kids that were maybe struggling with academics or behavior, the teacher would address the issue and the parent would simply go, ‘What do you want me to do?’” said Adam Witter, Director of Family Ministry. “It wasn’t out of sarcasm or spite. They really didn’t know what to do.”

This sparked the conversation to ask: What can the church do to create resources for parents, to empower them, give them tools and resources so that they can thrive?

These conversations led the church to the Raising Highly Capable Kids curriculum. After partnering with Lilly Endowment on a grant, the church received $1.25 million through a Christian parenting initiative, allowing it to launch Parents First and expand it throughout the Central Gwinnett cluster.

“We’ve been able to work within the Central Gwinnett cluster, starting in the high school,” said Witter. “Then, we built relationships with the middle and elementary schools, and now we are engaged with all seven schools in the cluster.”

Today, six to eight workshops are offered each semester. Participation is free, and most sessions include dinner and childcare to eliminate barriers for families.

Another barrier that could present itself is wariness of the church. Programs run by churches can receive negative connotations that promotion of religious beliefs will overshadow the initial goal. This thought is what inspired church leadership to bring the weekly meetings to schools in Gwinnett.

“For me, it was really important to host them in schools to remove some of that perceived barrier of walking into a church,” said Hilderbrandt, the church’s Senior Pastor. “Our real hope is to put Lawrenceville first. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from or your religious affiliation. We see you as a person who … deserves the best that the church and community can give.”

Breaking down religious barriers was only part of the intentional decision to meet at schools.

“Most of our program functions through a staff member at our Title One schools, usually called a parent outreach liaison,” said Hilderbrandt. “They are intimately involved with this because they are the parent-facing person.”

Forming this bridge between the parents and the program creates an opportunity for parents to develop a relationship with their school system and its resources.

“We really want parents to build rapport with the schools,” said Witter. “A lot of families have a bit of mistrust towards education and school, so we’re trying [to show that] this is a safe space — you have an advocate… Instead of being this other, [school] becomes part of their community.”

Each workshop lasts about two hours. Parents begin with 30 minutes of fellowship before facilitators guide discussions, case studies and reflections based on the 40 developmental assets curriculum.

While the curriculum gives parents tools and the ability to connect with their children more effectively, Hilderbrandt and Witter didn’t realize it would also foster connection that created support outside of the weekly meetings.

“When we first started this, we thought, this is great curriculum, we’re going to deliver content,” said Hilderbrandt. “But we learned very quickly that the content was a way to build community. These parents walk away with a connection to one another.”

The program has also expanded beyond the curriculum by bringing in experts to discuss topics identified by parents, including mental health, technology and parenting neurodivergent children.

“We want to make sure we’re serving needs outside of the class and maintaining relationships beyond the workshop,” Witter said.

Those lessons and relationships have impacted Hilderbrandt and Witter personally as well.

When Parents First launched, Witter and his wife didn’t just help facilitate the program — they enrolled as participants.

After his daughter was diagnosed as neurodivergent, Witter was unsure how to be the most effective parent. He attended a Parents First Initiative meeting, searching for support.

“I found encouragement with other peers in similar situations who gave me strategies, tools and encouragement …,” said Witter. “Casting that judgment off of yourself allows you to not be as afraid to make mistakes.”

Hilderbrandt also faced challenges when his daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager. Based on the teachings of the curriculum from Parents First Initiative, two of the assets he and his wife learned were about boundaries and goal setting.

“[We wanted to have] these conversations with our kids as opposed to society. Especially with a kid with medical issues … her path is not going to look like all of the goals we may have had. These two assets [paint] a picture for her that she’s helping me create.”

Parents told Hilderbrandt and Witter about changes in their own families as well.

One mother who graduated from the program previously felt that she and her kids were disengaged and couldn’t connect. She applied the teachings of the program over time to pause, listen and ask clarifying questions. In an interview held with the family, her 14-year-old expressed that she now felt close to her mom, that she was her best friend.

More than 200 parents have graduated from the program in the past three and a half years. Graduation ceremonies are held each November and April to align with the school calendar and further connect families to their schools.

“There’s a big graduation celebration at the end,” said Hilderbrandt. “It’s a beautiful thing because some of the parents we’re working with, this is the first time they’ve experienced this type of celebration or graduation. And they’re not only completing it for themselves, they’re also completing it for their kids.”

He recalled one graduation where a parent had more than 40 family members come to support them, carrying flowers and balloons.

“It’s incredible,” he said.

For Hilderbrandt, the program reflects a larger belief that parenting should never be done in isolation.

“As a church, we say every kid in every one of these schools, even if they’re not part of our church, those are our kids, and all of us have to be involved in that process.

“Parenting is hard,” Hilderbrandt added. “We shouldn’t do it alone.”

To further support families between workshops, the church also produces the LV Parents Podcast, which explores parenting challenges and continues conversations from the classroom.

“If we want to see our schools be the best they can be,” Hildebrant said, “it takes community partners, churches, businesses, parents, all of us saying we believe in these kids.”

For more information about the program and workshop dates, visit https://parentsfirstinitiative.com/