Hard working moms and dads all over the world are preparing for summer.  Where will the kids go?  What experiences will be planned for them?  How will they grow as a response to the summer activities?  Many families plan a wide variety of experiences for their family over the summer.  Parents want opportunities to serve, feel the emotion of compassion, and experience spiritual revelation and depth through camps and VBS.  It’s important to have family bonding times as well.  Contrary to what the kids want, it’s also important for parents that kids retain what was learned over the previous school year and take on new academic knowledge.    And to think, there are only eight to ten weeks for such experiences.  Although it is not the church’s responsibility to provide ALL the needs for families, summer is a wonderful time to switch gears and purpose as a ministry.

It’s important as you consider the plethora of ideas for summer outreach you provide what naturally suits your congregation.  Take a look at what other churches are doing and attempt to complement one another instead of competing.  Families tend to go to all types of church organized events over the summer to meet their needs.  Don’t take offense; be grateful!  Be prepared to find your niche and meet the needs of families in your community considering God has placed you in this community body just as He pleased. You have a role to fulfill.

In order to get your ideas rollin’ we’ve listed several ideas you can use to reach your community this summer.
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Imagine having had this amazing experience on your first mission trip.  As you returned home and began showing pictures and sharing stories of how your faith was renewed and how you served others, they don’t seem to get it.  Listeners try to share your enthusiasm but cannot grasp the life transformation that took place in your life.  You wished they could have lived it with you…

If you’ve ever been on a mission trip, you’ve likely experienced that dilemma.  If one individual shared that much life change, imagine what would take place for the family unit when they serve on a mission trip together.  The conversations and moments of caring for others would be amazing.

Parents want nothing more than to have their kids carry on their faith in God.  According to Eugene Roehlkepartain in his book, The Teaching Church, if you want to double the chances that your child will continue to live for God, then they will do three things:  have caring conversations, family devotions and family service.   Providing opportunities for families to serve together or experience mission trips could provide each of these faith milestones families need to strengthen their faith TOGETHER.  Although not limited to summer, it is a great time of the year for such experiences.

You may be thinking, at this time of the year, with this amount of responsibility how could I possibly organize family serving opportunities or a mission trips?  Remember, our role as church leader is to equip the saints to do the work, not to do all the work alone.  The idea of a family missions experience can be as elaborate or simple as you need it to be.  The benefits of the work put into family missions experiences will out way the work put into pulling the ideas together.

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Teaching BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge) was my first role as a children’s minister as a teen. I LOVED the research and the idea of prayerfully and financially helping someone teach others about Jesus in another culture. Years later as a children’s pastor we did so many fun things and I learned a few lessons along the way too (like to make sure not to try to do all my ideas alone!) Now, I don’t believe I have all the answers when it comes to missions and kids; but I do have a TON of ideas. Allow me to share my experience and give you some fun ideas you can use to bring missions emphasis to the front of what you do in the class or weave it into your lesson on a monthly basis.

In my zeal I never had enough time to do all I had planned for Mission Sunday once a month. So as kids arrived and were waiting for service or class to start we’d have books on tables from the country in focus. I’d have someone cooking food on one side of the room, another person leading games (the kids would play in the country we were learning about). Then of course there were crafts going on too. Seriously, you could have just one of those components in the mission lesson and it would be fun!

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We’re excited to provide a great resource to set you up with tremendous resources as you prepare for Easter.  We want kids to know Christ has chosen them to follow Him.   He made a way through His choice to give His life for us on the cross.

This lesson will provide media support, hands on experiences, and relation building opportunities for kids to choose Christ.  The format of this lesson makes it easy for large or small group settings.You may choose to utilize the lesson notes as a whole curriculum for Easter or take pieces of it and adjust it for your group’s size and length.

Easter Lesson

In the unexpected seasons of life are the times when God wastes not a moment, a loving lesson, nor a time to show His character to us.  We often don’t like these times and wish them away, but if we could pause to see that every speed bump, detour and closed road has a kingdom building experience waiting for us, it may help.  I’d like to share a couple of stories with you to stir your heart as you enter this unpredictable coming year.

Closed Roads

Headed to spend some days with my family over the holidays we encountered a freeway that was closed.  Closed!  How do you have a closed freeway?  We of course hit the detour button on our GPS which took us seven miles out of our way only to dump us onto the soon closing freeway.  In the middle of the detour, we had some decisions to make as our four children were watching our attitudes and actions.  It made me think about the major financial decisions our church is experiencing where the “freeway was closed down” symbolically speaking.  Our congregation and ministry teams are watching to see our character as well as conduct.  It’s tough to keep it cool when things don’t go as planned while the Lord teaches us incredible lessons about trust and integrity.
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We all know that Valentines is a time to share love and kindness with others.  This year we thought we’d give you a quick Valentine sermon/lesson to help you plan your lessons for elementary kids.  Utilize it however you wish!

My five year old was looking at an old 80’s band in a concert on YouTube (ask my husband what that was about!). The audience was crammed up to the stage as concerts usually look like with their hands raised and chanting. “Daddy,” Maxx said, “They’re worshiping the wrong person.” I was amazed how he could discern that in just a couple of minutes. It would be easy to work late every night with meetings and ministry gatherings, but when your kids watch the amount of time you’re at home, would they, after evaluation, know you are worshiping the right person?

Here are some ways to determine what message you’re sending:

• Ask your spouse how you’re doing?
• Check the “joy meter” of your family members. Are they peaceful and happy? Are you?
• Looking at your calendar, are there more family events/times or ministry events. Sometimes quality is not measured by actual minutes spent.
• Are you mentally home when you’re home?

Utilize some steps or tools to get things in order. A yearly Family Action Plan is a way to help your family be in a place of priority. Just as your ministry calendar reflect the ministry goals, make sure your calendar includes family goals. Perhaps choose a theme scripture for your family for the year, or family vacations that will produce the outcome you hope. If you desire to teach missions to your kids, make sure you’re doing something as a family that will instill that heart. Plan time with your spouse. It will benefit your whole family and it also models healthy love and value. While you plan your year, don’t forget simple ways to show your family you care by planning devotional times and time for prayer as a family. It is worth the time invested. Take seriously the goals of your family so you keep your family and Christ the center of your life.

To worship the right person needs to start with the personal relationship with Christ. It’s unfortunate that ministers have lost their family and their walk with the Lord because they have lost balance and begun to worship what they do for the Lord; making it about them. Like a thief, the shock of the brokenness of their family or the grief of a divorce takes place in a blur. No one asks for this. No one plans for this. But somehow the worship transferred from Christ and Christ-like things to themselves. It’s imperative to arrange your time to keep Christ at the center of who you. Studying for a sermon cannot take the place of personal application of the Word to your life. Prayer and intercession for others and the church cannot take the place of listening and talking to the Lord about what’s going on in your life. Regardless of how much you do for the Lord, He wants to have a relationship with you not your deeds.

Many are setting up the ministry calendar for next year. It’s also a great time to reevaluate how your time is spent and what your kids see when they watch your ministry model. Whether you choose to ask the questions, set up your Family Action Plan or increase your intimacy with the Lord, goals are easier to hit when you reflect on them more than once a year. Talk with someone to help you evaluate where you are and hold you accountable to keep Christ and your family in their place. It will be worth it to make necessary changes so you’re kids know you’re worshiping the right person.

God so loved the world that He gave… He didn’t give in the most elaborate and extravagant way, but in a lowly simple setting of a manger and a stable. Often we want the attention and highlight for big ways of giving, yet like Christ, the big impact came in due time. Helping people less fortunate can happen in the same way.

Image by Norm & Debra via Flickr

Before opening gifts in our family Christmas morning we always read the story of Christ’s birth and share how God gave us the greatest gift of all in Jesus. Another friend of mine saves gifts for birthdays but for Christmas they give gifts to the less fortunate. If your family is looking for a different approach to Christmas celebrations, perhaps you’ll find an idea or two that suits your family and community dynamic.

Operation Kid to Kid
Each year an item and a country is chosen by Group Publishing and used to mobilize gifts for whole communities. The gifts are chosen to provide the children’s need. Operation Kid to Kid is tied into a VBS program it is not limited to that tool in order to utilize it to reach kids through the one chosen item for the year’s project like blankets, balls, bags or stuffed animals. You can see pictures and project ideas at Operation Kid2Kid.

Christmas Shoe Box Project
This is an easy way to get kids to provide toys, clothing items, games to children all over India, Africa and Philippines. Kids choose what goes into the box. Learn more on their website.

Other well-known organizations that have a plethora of outreach options such as Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, Compassion International are also a great place to start with your family outreach this year.

Your family doesn’t need to go through an organization like mentioned above, there are simple ways you and your church can reach the needs of people in your community. Think of the people in your community who don’t get a lot of attention as a place to start with your family Christmas project. Kids in orphanages or in hospitals, elderly in homes and families in homeless shelters are often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.

There are a variety of ways your family can give. Have kids make cards and deliver them to those home bound. Help your kids learn some Christmas songs and sing them at various locations. Consider allowing your kids to go to the dollar store and choose toys to give away. Even if you can’t give the gifts or cards directly you can ask for pictures or stories so your children see the effect of their giving. Secretly sponsor a family in your community so that instead of buying gifts for your family members, they buy gifts for the other family to be opened at Christmas.

Regardless of your family traditions while you celebrates Christmas, this year might be a great year to start a new tradition of giving to the less fortunate.

Memories make life richer more full of purpose. When experiential, Advent traditions and activities become more than something to fill the time but rather experiences to change lives forever and bring family closer.

Advent may or may not be a part of your Christmas season celebrations, however, when we consider its purpose, it can be a tradition that brings greater richness and depth to what God wants to do in your families. As families focus on the coming of Christ during the four weeks prior to christ’s birth they build the anticipation of his coming. Hope is stirred. The need for a savior is stirred. When we are waiting for a special day to arrive the anticipation can be unbearable. When the day finally came, your joy was greater. Instead of focusing on the gifts of Christmas focusing on the arrival of Jesus on that day gives focus to Christ. How wonderful to help our kids see with anticipation that Christ was coming to be with us and is now here!

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“I want to make sure I’m ready to tell my friends about Jesus at school but I’m afraid I won’t remember what to say.”

Here are some ideas to help your kids be ready to share about Christ when asked:

1. When a friend begins to share about a tough experience; listen to their story.
2. Connecting their story to your story.  Share about a time when you went through a similar experience.
3. Connecting your story to God.  Share how God helped you in your experience.
4. Connecting their story to God.

Option A: Then say, “If God can help me, I know He can help you.”  Would you like me to pray for you?

Option B:  I remember hearing a story (from the Bible or from church) that is like your story.  Tell the story of God’s care as it relates to the story.  Then ask to pray for your friend.

Helping our kids feel confident that they can share their faith is important.