In our churches, we watch the Sunday School teachers, the pastor, the sound man, the musicians, and the greeters. Though it may be easy to identify some of the ministries in the church, we are surrounded by all different capacities, some glamorous and some not so glamorous. With that said, they are all important! If someone did not clean the church, the services would not be as enjoyable since many of us would be distracted by the dirt.
Now, I know that service is not what is most important in this Christian life. Our relationship with God is to be what we focus on and service should be an overflow of the love we have for Him. With that said, a servant’s heart should be fruit that is produced in our hearts and lives. God’s word says,
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
– Matthew 5:16
In our homes, it is crucial that we have our priorities straight, and God’s work should have a preeminent place in our lives, a place that the children see and recognize.
As a homeschooling momma, I realize that you do not have as much time to serve as a single woman may have. With that said, I still believe that service and ministries are important, especially as you teach your kids to love God and His people. After all, having a servant’s heart, as Christ did, is an big part of being a Christian, as was said before.
So, what can you and your children do within the work of God? Here are some ideas.
1. Prayer
Though it may seem like a simple ministry, I just think it is so important to teach children about prayer and how we can pray for those we love. We can bear one another’s burdens through prayer. There is also something so precious about hearing a child pray!
As a daily routine, it may be special to make a prayer list part of your morning basket or have it be what you start with every day before classes begin.
2. Missions
We just had our missions conference at our church about a week ago, and I was once again reminded about how important missions is to our faith. God commanded us to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
With that said, I think it is neat for homeschooling families to incorporate studying missionaries and their missions fields into their daily routine, praying for those missionaries, and even learning how to give financially to missions. In my church, there was a young man recently who decided to sell candy and donate all the money he earned to a missionary family he knew of. It was precious watching him selling the candy and supporting a cause he believed in.
When considering how we can support missionaries, another thing we can do with children is to help them reach out to missionary children, as well, through birthday cards or just thoughtful notes/emails to remind the missionary kids that they are not alone or forgotten when they go to the field.
Supporting missionaries is one of the ministries that any family can get involved in whether that be through financial support, prayer, or just thoughtful communications.
3. Taking care of the church
Straightening hymn books, picking up trash, cleaning up spills, and keeping things as neat as possible – these are just a few of the things that children can do to help take care of the church. These actions can also help children practice having a servant’s heart and respecting the house of God. It does not have to be big things.
I heard the other day about a sweet little boy at our church who has decided it is his ministry to straighten all the song books in the church. It is not one of the flashy, fancy ministries, but it is precious! This little boy is learning to serve and appreciate the joys of taking care of the house of God.
4. Giving gift baskets/small gifts
I think it can be really neat to give out thoughtful gifts and gift baskets to others as a ministry. For example, around Christmas, one of my favorite ministries is handing out tracks with a candy cane. Candy canes are not expensive at all, but you should see how brightly people smile and how willingly they take the track when you give it to them with a candy cane and simply say, “This is for you. Merry Christmas!”
Similarly, children can learn the precious gift of giving when we enable them to give to others even when those gifts are small. Maybe it is just a thoughtful gift for a widow at church, or a small care package for a homeless person, but these gifts can help open children’s eyes to the needs of others around them.
5. Nursing homes
Though I know that COVID has really hindered this ministry quite a bit, I know of families that will take their children to nursing homes to cheer up some of the elderly folks there. It can be a great opportunity for children to practice playing their musical instruments/singing in front of people in a very low-pressure, safe environment. Not to mention that the people in the nursing homes often thoroughly enjoy the children and music.
Visiting nursing homes can help children see individuals from other generations and learn to cultivate relationships with people who are much older than them. I would encourage children to also ask the older folks questions about their lives and what life was like when they were children since it can be fascinating for children to learn the amazing life stories of others. Doing this can also help children learn to listen effectively which is a very important and useful skill!
Growing up, my mom used to talk about how we all are going through different seasons of life. For example, right now, my mom is a mother of six children who are all 14 years old and up. Her life is very different than what it was 10 years ago! Back then, she had six kids between the ages of 4-13 years old. She was thinking about starting the baby in kindergarten while also homeschooling all five other kids. Now, she is in a different season. Nearly four of us are graduated from high school! We are all growing older, and she is growing along with us. I am in a similar position of changing seasons. This time last year, I was an unmarried college student traveling around in a Bluegrass Gospel band with the rest of my family in a 45 foot bus. Now, I am no longer in school. I got married in November of last year and now live in Alabama with my husband. I am enjoying a new season of life.
I say all that to say that, though we may all be in very different seasons, God still has a place for us within His will and work. We all have different jobs we can do and different ways we can serve. With that said, as Christians, we are all expected to serve in some capacity, and it is so important for children to learn the importance of ministries when they are little. God’s work is the most important thing going on in our worlds, and we can all have a part! I encourage you to do whatever it is God has enabled you to do within His precious work.
In conclusion, I leave you with this verse,
“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
– Romans 12:4-5
How do you help your kids get involved in God’s work and ministries?
What is your favorite way to teach your children to have a servant’s heart?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Until next time
