I am a firm believer that faith in Jesus is deeply personal.
We need to form our own relationships with Jesus, and have habits that allow us to connect with Him.
That’s why introducing disciplines like prayer, Bible study & meditation are so important – even to our children.
While faith is indeed deeply personal, it isn’t exclusively personal.
Our faith in Jesus should point us outward – towards expressions of faith that can be seen in community, and serve the communities around us.
Some writers call these the “outward” or “corporate” spiritual disciplines.
Richard Foster, in his book “Celebration of Discipline” lists several disciplines in each of these categories, including service, submission, solitude, celebration, worship and confession.
While each of these is significant (and could earn a blog post in its own right!) -today I want to talk about a very practical habit you can encourage your families in – serving.
In a world (and dare I say church!), where there is so much division, serving others builds up, creates community and allows our hearts to be filled with the love of Jesus.
So, how do we plug families into serving? What does it look like? Here are some ideas:
Start small.
Sometimes, when we think of service opportunities, we think of BIG things – short-term missions trips, building a home with Habitat for Humanity, or opening a soup kitchen. All of those things are important – but creating a habit of serving others begins when we choose to “serve small.”
Practically, this can look like donating to local food banks, sending encouraging notes to others in your church family, or opening your home to someone whose lonely for a playdate or meal.
Incorporate serving into the life of the local church.
Sometimes in church life, we think serving is for adults, or at the least, our students. I am a firm believer that regardless of age, people can serve in the local church!
This week in our Facebook community, people are sharing simple ideas for families to serve together. Whether folding bulletins, serving coffee, or setting up chairs, there are all kinds of ways for kids to serve too.
When you introduce a service project to your church family, find ways for kids to get involved too! A couple years ago at Christmas, we included bags for kids to collect food bank items in our Advent kits. In many of our take-home discipleship kits, we’ve included simple ways for families to serve – creating cards for others, praying for first responders, or finding a way to show love to a neighbour.
Consider how you can help kids get involved in serving with their giftings. Could you have a family serve as greeters? Work at your coffee cart? Help with set-up or tear-down? Get creative and think of ways to get those kids involved!
Encourage families to cultivate a heart of service.
In his book, “Celebration of Discipline”, Richard Foster says this:
“Begin each day by praying, ‘Lord Jesus, as it would please you, bring me someone today whom I can serve.”
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, p. 140
What would it look like for you to encourage families to pray this every day?
What would it look like to include service as part of your regular teaching schedule at church – and encourage parents to discuss it?
What would it look like for you to give families all kinds of opportunities to serve – and celebrate and champion them when they do?
As we cultivate a heart that loves Jesus and spends time with Him, sharing that with others – particularly through serving – should flow naturally out of us! Let’s give families an opportunity to serve others – to grow the Kingdom of God in their own hearts, and the hearts of those around them.
PS. If you’re looking for some real practical help with getting kids plugged in, check out our Student Volunteer Package. We’ve used this to get our preteens and students plugged in to serving at church – it takes care of the practical pieces!
