Serving With Kids

Welcome to summer! It’s the season of sunshine, snow cones, and—for many churches—service. Teens and adults take off for weeklong adventures: building houses, leading vacation Bible school, meeting new people, and discovering their gifts.

But what about the kids? Though too small to wield a hammer and too young to travel far, kids are still social agents who have a mission in God’s world! Consider these ways your kids can care for others and share Christ’s compassion:

Give Globally

Global giving projects can open the world to children and help them see how important their contribution is. Check out three projects I love:

• Loose Change to Loosen Chains—a project from the International Justice Mission that involves children in freeing modern-day slaves all over the world.
• The Micah Challenge for Kids—gives children a role in a worldwide Christian movement to cut global poverty in half by 2015.
• Water of Life—This educational and fundraising project focuses on the human need for water—both the water we drink and the Living Water we receive in Christ.

As kids hear stories of real children a continent away their world expands, and so does their awareness of how to live in it. Projects like these help kids and families take practical steps to stand up against injustice and stand in solidarity with those in need. With a little publicity and the passion of your kids, these projects can inspire action in the whole community!

Loose Change to Loosen Chains from International Justice Mission on Vimeo.

Serve Side By Side

Something special happens when people from different generations rub elbows as they serve together. They find common ground where they hadn’t known it existed before! A sixty-year-old and seven-year-old become something more than a grandparent and child, or a Sunday school teacher and student—they become ministry partners! Stories are shared as faith is experienced and modeled, practiced and affirmed.

At the most recent Children’s Spirituality Conference, featured presenter Marcia Bunge ranked “participating in service projects with parents or other caring adults” among the top ten best practices for nurturing the moral and spiritual lives of kids.

Consider these ways your congregation can start serving intergenerationally:

Expanding the Team

• If your church has calling elders or pastoral outreach teams, include a child on the team to pray and read Scripture with those who are homebound or hospitalized.

Passing on Skills

• Does someone in your congregation sew or knit? Create an intergenerational team to sew dolls or stuffed animals, or knits scarves and sweaters for children at local shelters or a Ronald McDonald House.

Choosing Kid-Friendly Projects

• Pregnancy resource centers love kids! They often need volunteers to help sort items that are donated and organize the bottles used for fundraising campaigns.
• Food pantries and thrift store donation centers need year-round support stocking shelves and sorting clothes or canned goods.
• Most cities have adopt-a-road programs that your church can get involved with. Schedule a Saturday morning 4-6 times a year when adults, kids, and teens can meet at the curb to pick up trash, greet neighbors, plant flowers, rake, or pull weeds.

Take advantage of these warm summer months to serve side by side with the kids in your congregation, and you’ll see a lasting spiritual impact on their lives!

Looking for more service-oriented ideas for summer or to sprinkle throughout the year? Check out the WWJD Summer Day Camp book!

The 2009 Grow Conference for children’s ministry leaders is happening in Edmonton, Alberta, on October 17 this year! As you nurture the faith of God’s youngest disciples, this one-day event will help your team prepare for the practical challenges of ministry. Registration and details will be available on the Grow website, www.faithaliveresources.org/GROW, beginning in late-July.