16 Inspiring ways for kids to
live out Acts 1:8 as they minister to other kids --
next door or a world away.
If you've worked with kids, you know that bound-aries and borders
aren't barriers for them. Children have the amazing ability to
overcome obstacles when it comes to ministering to fellow children
-- whether they're in need next door or across the globe. Challenge
the kids in your ministry to take on the world while they make a
big difference in other kids' lives -- near and far.
Close to Home
Some needs are as close as the Sunday school room next door. Here
are ideas kids can use to make a difference within your church
walls.
The Connection Point
Being brand new to church can be intimidating -- especially for
kids. As families walk into your church, adults are almost always
there to shake hands and greet other adults, but kids are often
bypassed or overlooked. So train your kids specifically to connect
with other kids.
Preparing: Have your kids set up a welcome table
in your church's entry that's colorfully decorated with images from
recent children's ministry events, small group and class names, and
your ministry's logo and tagline. Provide printed, kid-friendly
information about your ministry for distribution; and prep kids
with friendly conversation starters such as, "What's your school
like?" or, "What's your favorite TV show?"
Sharing: Each week, have two or three kids rotate
serving at the connection point, where their job is to greet all
kids who come in-whether regulars or visitors. Teach kids to greet
those they know by name and approach those they don't with a smile.
Encourage greeters to ask other kids their names and to introduce
themselves. Greeters can give visiting kids a small gift from your
ministry, such as a zipper pull or button (which can also be a
great visual signal to your ministry team that you have a guest)
and then walk with kids and their families to the appropriate
ministry area.
Read Me a Story
Kids who love to read can share that love while serving younger
kids with this idea. Invite older kids in your children's ministry
to read a children's Bible aloud to younger children in your
nursery or preschool program.
Preparing: If your children's ministry has a
library, provide the Bibles. If not, invite kids to bring theirs
from home to share or create a wish list where parents can purchase
a Bible to donate to a reading library. Any children's Bible with
great illustrations will work, especially if there's a connection
to the Bible lesson younger kids are learning. Kids can choose
which Bible story to read, no more than five minutes each. Coach
readers to point out illustrations as they read, speak clearly and
with enthusiasm, share their favorite parts of each situation, and
invite little ones to share their favorite parts, too. Give readers
opportunities to practice with each other before they read to their
audience.
Sharing: Set up a time for your readers to join
the younger kids. You may opt for one special reading day, or a set
amount of time over several weeks for kids to read together. Let
your readers introduce themselves to the little ones and say what
they love best about reading. Then let them dive in to the Bible.
Close each reading session with a prayer of thanks for God's
Word.
You'll be amazed by the results -- not only by the great events
kids explore together, but by their budding relationships, growing
self-esteem, and pure enjoyment of reading and sharing God's
Word.
Care Corner for Kids
Kids have a knack for reaching out to one another like no one
else. So let them take the lead when it comes to connecting with
friends who are sick, hurting, or absent.
Preparing: Create a Care Corner in your room,
stocked with paper, pens and pencils, stickers, and stamps. Display
2 Corinthians 1:3 ("All praise to God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the
source of all comfort") on a poster to remind kids of God's
compassion.
Sharing: Each week, encourage kids to use a bit
of their free time to write a note to someone they know who could
use some compassion. For a child who's absent, sick, sad, or
otherwise hurting, a personal note can make all the difference.
Encourage kids to include people they know inside and outside of
church.
When a child is absent, have kids collectively sign a card saying
they missed the child. Let the child know the topic and the main
point, include any take-home papers or information, and then have
kids address the envelope and return it to you to mail.
'Til We Meet Again
Whenever a friend moves, it's difficult for all. Help kids left
behind and the child who's gone by sending a custom care
package.
Preparing: Have the child fill out a "favorites
page" that lists favorite treats, movies, and activities. Get the
child's new address from his or her parents.
Sharing: One month after a child leaves, have
kids create cards, drawings, and pictures. Encourage kids to
include stories or memories about the child who's moved and photos
of your class. Using the child's favorites page, have kids choose
one item for $5 or less to include as a special treat. Include a
note of encouragement from you and an invitation to write
back.
Beyond the Front Yard
Stepping outside the comfort zone of church, these ideas inspire
kids to make a difference in their communities.
Snack Attack
Local parks and sports fields are typically packed on any given
Saturday -- and a ripe opportunity for your kids to share some
health and happiness with others.
Preparing: Identify nearby parks and sports
fields, and recruit enough parent volunteers to have one adult per
five kids who can visit the park as a group. Arm each group with
individually wrapped snacks such as cereal bars, popsicles, or
fruit snacks, and juice boxes. Pack the snacks in a box or wagon
for each group with a sign that reads, "Free Snacks from the kids
at (your ministry's name)."
Sharing: Have kids meet at your church on
Saturday morning. Start with a prayer, asking God to help kids meet
the people he wants them to, and then head out to the parks and
fields. Encourage kids to chat with their newfound acquaintances by
asking questions such as their names, favorite sports, or what
schools they attend as they distribute snacks. This "just because"
act of kindness can help befriend neighbors and opens the door for
inviting families to church or to an upcoming family or children's
ministry event.
Test Busters
The kids in your ministry can ease their fellow classmates' stress
when it comes to standardized school testing with this service
idea.
Preparing: Contact your school district to find
out when it conducts standardized testing and mark your calendar.
Get permission from the principal or administrator to bring a gift
for kids on that date.
Sharing: Encourage kids to pray regularly for
their classmates who'll be testing. Then have kids fill cellophane
gift bags with two pencils; a small toy; and a healthy, prepackaged
snack item. On the outside of the bag attach a self-adhesive label
that says, "I'm thinking of you as you take your test -- and I know
that you'll do your best!"
Have kids deliver enough bags for their classmates on the first
day of testing. They can include a small bag for teachers with tea
bags, a pack of gum or mints, an apple, and a bag of microwave
popcorn.
On-Call Meals
Many families spend months away from home when they have a sick
child receiving medical care. Help these families experience a
home-cooked meal by bringing meals to local hospitals.
Preparing: Although a sick child may be unable to
have visitors, kids in your ministry can prepare and deliver meals
to family members of the child and visit, write an encouraging
note, or include reading material such as magazines or books in a
care package. Simply coordinate with local hospitals to make it
simple for families to request a meal. You'll need to know food
allergies, likes and dislikes, and the number of people you're
cooking for.
Sharing: Have kids develop menus. Assign duties,
including who'll shop, prepare food, package the meal, write the
card, and deliver the food. Meet on a Saturday morning to cook and
package the meal and deliver it by early afternoon. Include a
prayer for healing and health in the card kids create.
Toy Drive
Giving gifts is often only emphasized during Christmas, but this
idea encourages kids to give gifts sacrificially throughout the
year. Kids in your ministry can sponsor seasonal toy drives several
times throughout the school year to collect specific, new items
such as balls, sidewalk chalk, snow sleds, or kites.
Preparing: Contact community agencies that supply
children's needs such as a homeless shelter, women's safe house,
law enforcement, social services, and your fire department. Ask for
their wish lists of items that would directly help kids, and then
challenge your kids to tackle the lists.
Sharing: Kids can create and decorate drop-off
bins to collect the needed items. Ensure that the bins clearly
state the needs and whom the donations will benefit. Once the
collection time is up, have kids gather the items and place
stickers on them that say, "Just to make you smile! From the kids
at (your church/ministry name)." Before you take your kids to
deliver the toys to the community agencies, pray for the children
who'll receive each item.
Bear Hugs
This special outreach gives your kids an opportunity to comfort
children in crisis through a creative and meaningful
collection.
Preparing: Families in serious crisis are in
every community, and often they may never find their way to your
ministry. However, they do often find their way into contact with
law enforcement and emergency responders -- who frequently find
themselves comforting the children. Having soft, lovable cuddlies
to give to kids in seriously stressful situations is meaningful not
only to the child but the emergency responders as well.
Sharing: Have kids make creative advertisements
and display them in your church for several weeks promoting a
weekend when your ministry will request new, plush bears and
stuffed animals from the pulpit. Encourage kids to save money to
purchase a new plush animal, too. Then during your children's and
adult worship services, invite people to bring up their bears.
After the animals are up front, have your senior pastor pray that
the gifts so lovingly given will bless hurting children in your
community.
At the end of your services, kids can box up the stuffed animals
and help you deliver them to a local police station or fire
department.
Kid Food Drive
Your kids can provide a kid-licious meal for an unknown friend in
need by doing a food drive that's focused on younger taste
buds.
Preparing: With the current tight economy, more
and more families are making their way to food pantries to gather
meal essentials. And donated items most often overlooked are foods
that kids specifically enjoy.
Sharing: Ask a grocer to donate large paper
grocery sacks and distribute them in your ministry area with a note
attached indicating when items are due back. Also list recommended,
kid-friendly food items, such as cereal, fruit snacks, granola
bars, peanut butter, jelly, lunch snack packs, crackers, and jars
of baby food. Encourage your kids to get their families in on
collecting food for young friends in need.
In a Place Far, Far Away
Kids can take on the world -- and make a difference -- with these
ideas.
Take-Out Help
Kids can provide basic necessities for Chinese orphans with this
project.
Preparing: Find and print information about
Chinese children, including those who are at-risk and have special
needs, and pray for them by name by going to chinaorphans.org.
You'll find profiles, specific needs, and ways kids can help.
Sharing: Give each child a Chinese take-out box
to decorate (to order boxes, go to papermart.com). For a
designated period of time, ask kids to collect money in their
take-out box to help orphans in China. At the end of your
collection period, visit the website for instructions on how to
send the financial support kids raised to help these orphans. Then
throughout the school year, have kids choose one or two of the
orphans to pray for during class.
Quenching Their Thirst
Your kids can make a significant health impact in African kids'
lives by helping give them access to clean drinking water.
Preparing: In many African villages clean
drinking water is nonexistent. As a result, many African children
drinking unclean water become infected with worms, which can
eventually travel to kids' hearts, resulting in death. There are
several organizations-some led by kids-that focus on bringing clean
drinking water to African villages. For this project, you'll need
one plastic drinking glass per child (available at discount
stores).
Sharing: Give each child a drinking glass. Talk
with your kids about the drinking water conditions in some African
villages. Then challenge kids to collect as much change as possible
over the next four weeks in the drinking glass. Encourage kids to
tell their friends and families about the challenges these villages
face.
Have kids bring their coin-filled glasses to church and tally how
many wells they'll help dig, thanks to their efforts.
Sewing Dignity
Gather a group of kids in your ministry who like crafts and teach
them to sew these cute pillowcase dresses for girls in
Uganda.
Preparing: Clothing for many in Uganda is a
luxury, and children rarely get new items to wear. Your kids can
hand-create dresses which will be cherished and worn regularly by
girls in Uganda.
Sharing: Kids can collect new or barely used
pillowcases from friends and family before they begin their sewing
projects. If kids get plain, white pillowcases, let them tie-dye
them with colorful fabric dye. Ask adult women with sewing machines
to bring them to the church and teach kids how to sew these simple
dresses. Schedule several Saturday or Sunday afternoons for kids to
create dresses to send to Uganda through Hope 4 Kids International
(hope4kidsinternational.com)
Call Them Up
Connect kids with other kids around the world for pennies by using
Skype.com-free video and voice
calls-to communicate.
Preparing: Connect with a Christian school or
organization in countries where your denomination has a missionary
connection.
Sharing: Organize a schedule and topics for kids
to gather and Skype with their new friends. Chat times can include
things in kids' cultures, news about their families, or things
they're learning from the Bible. Prep your kids on the topic before
you connect with the other group, and keep discussion starters on
hand in case the conversation lags. Close each conversation with
this prayer where both groups of kids join in.
Adult: Dear God, thank you for our circle of
friends.
Kids: Friends are a gift from you.
Adult: Thank you for our differences and our
similarities.
Kids: You've made our world so rich and
wonderful.
Adult: Thank you for your son,
Jesus.
Kids: He is the greatest gift of
all.
All: Amen.
Virtual Story Sharing
Have your class or small group establish a secure chat room to
communicate with other kids around the country and around the
globe.
Preparing: Connect with other churches worldwide
who may be interested in joining your ministry's chat room. You can
quickly find Christian churches in other countries by doing an
Internet search or connecting with your denomination. To set up a
free, secure chat room, go to kidchatters.com. The best chat rooms
are updated regularly and have postings that are less than 200
words each. Read each entry before you post it to ensure content is
appropriate, and choose the function where comments must be
reviewed prior to posting to keep your site free of inappropriate
posts or comments.
Sharing: Encourage kids to contribute new posts
every week. Their topics might include ways God is working in their
schools, how they're growing in their faith, or personal God
sightings. This year-round cyber outreach lets kids from around the
globe connect, communicate, share, and inspire each other via their
words and stories.
The talents of these authors made this article possible: Janna
Firestone from Greeley, Colorado; Monika Hardy from Loveland,
Colorado; Lisa Leonard from New Providence, New Jersey; Melissa
Guillebeau Line from Dacula, Georgia; MariLee Parrish from
Loveland, Colorado; Brenna Phillips from Middletown, Delaware;
Douglas Rose from Grand Prairie, Texas; Patty Smith from Nashville,
Tennessee; and Emily Snider from Roseville,
Michigan.
