Today’s guest blogger is Lynda Freeman, who regularly blogs at the Review Source, grandma’s cookie jar, About the Children’s Department, and Round About the Church! She has 40 years of experience working in Children’s Ministry. She has served as a children’s director in churches as large as 1,600 people – as well as in churches of 100 people – so she understands firsthand the needs of small, average, and large church Children’s Ministries. Lynda worked as a consultant for Gospel Light, Group and ZonderKidz/Big Idea, ZonderKidz/Promiseland. Currently, she is the editor of Round About the Church, an online webzine. She is also known for her reviews of curriculum and church resources, including the kidz connection curriculum.
Yesterday we took our grandson Josiah shopping to buy the gifts for his Christmas for an Orphan box … he wanted to fill a second box for his baby brother Caleb to send to another boy, so of course we agreed! Josiah picked out the toothbrush, toothpaste, Band-Aids, crayons, candy and of course Hot Wheel cars for his box! I have a few additional toys for him to include, and today he will pack his boxes so Poppa can mail them tomorrow!
We talked with Josiah about making a “bank” so over the coming year as he does special things to help his Poppa and I, we will put money in his bank and then next year he will be able to use his own money to buy the things for his boxes so other children will receive gifts for Christmas! We will remind Josiah to pray for the children who receive his and Caleb’s boxes so they will learn about how much Jesus loves them … this is the best gift they could ever receive!
This is such a simple project … perfect for the children and families in your church to participate in! Consider Putting Feet to Their Faith by involving the families and children in your church or ministry in filling Christmas for an Orphan boxes. Encourage parents and/or teachers/small group leaders to take their children shopping for the things to fill their boxes and be sure to involve them in praying for the children who receive their boxes! Christmas is about giving … Jesus giving us real life and His amazing love, and it’s about us giving to others!
At the beginning of September I posted about World Help’s Christmas for an Orphan initiative and encouraged readers to “Put Feet to Their Faith” by involving the children in their ministry, church, and community in this project to share Jesus’ love with children around the world.
Here are my top ten reasons to involve your children in Christmas for an Orphan:
- it gives them the opportunity to share Jesus’ love with others
- it motivates children to pray diligently for other children
- it gives them the opportunity to grow and become more “Christ-like”
- it allows children to think about and focus on others at a time of year when they tend to think about and focus on themselves
- it gives children something tangible and “do-able” to help children in need
- it challenges children to live what they learn
- it gives children an opportunity to follow Jesus’ example and do something real to care for others
- it motivates children to learn about other children in need
- it gives them an opportunity to earn something they can give to others
- it gives them the opportunity to work with others to accomplish an important goal
There are many more reasons for you to involve the children in your ministry in Christmas for an Orphan, but whatever reason you choose, please make the commitment to involve your kids in earning money to buy gifts for their boxes, gathering items for their boxes, and most importantly, praying for these children so they will not only have a box of gifts, but will choose to accept the best gift they could ever receive, Jesus! Make this part of every Christmas … it could become the favorite part of Christmas for the children in your ministry!
Originally posted on http://www.aboutthechildrensdepartment.com/