Jesus loved children and made time for them even when others tried to keep them away. He even said that everyone must become like little kids if they want to go to Heaven.
Mothers are often busy with the challenges of life and feel they have no time for ministry. What would they do with the kids? How would they find time after feeding and taking care of their children? What they may fail to realize is the fact that they are also tasked with training their children. What better way to teach their children to care about others than for them to see it in action with their moms.
Get Children Involved
While a mother’s natural tendency is to protect her children from life’s heartaches, it is actually good to show them a little of real life. While you may not want to take them into a prison with you or in some of the other shady or dangerous areas of ministry, it doesn’t hurt for them to help out in many ways. Let them see that not everyone has enough food to eat or nice clothes to wear. Show them that some children have no toys to play with.
When children get involved with ministry, it helps them to learn to take the focus off self. They learn to be thankful for what they have. More importantly, they develop compassion for others. It teaches them kindness and generosity. They also become more like Jesus and develop a stronger relationship with him.
Areas of Ministry
It depends on the ages of your children as to what types of ministry they can be involved in. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:
- Pick out non-perishable food from your pantry or the store to donate to a charity
- Sort through the children’s clothes and old toys to give away items (make sure they are in good condition and not just old cast-offs)
- Find an organization to donate money to and save out some of your child’s allowance – you can match the amount to help it go further
- Volunteer at a food pantry
- Volunteer to help raise funds for an organization
- Offer to assist with special fundraising events
- Older kids can help babysit or tutor younger children for free
- Visit a nursing home
- Help a homebound senior citizen by running errands or doing chores
You may be able to think of other ways children can get involved in ministry.
Jesus loved little children and saw their potential. They can show His love to others in many practical ways. It is up to us as parents to help them learn how to put their faith in action.
