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Author Topic: Family service/ministry ideas  (Read 2274 times)
jesse95x
Wide Eyed

Posts: 3
« on: July 01, 2006, 05:17:52 AM »
What are good ministry or service activities you can do as a family? This seems to be such an important part of raising kids, both to bless other people and also to train our kids to have a heart for other people. We've done lots of things but still feel like there must be other types that will better fit our family's personality.

Here are some activities we do or have tried:

  • Visit residents in a nursing home - perhaps the best activity a family with little kids can do (most residents love the kids!)
  • Rescue mission - daddy preaches, mama leads a few songs, kids pass out Bibles and hymnals
  • Pass out hot cocoa and cookies at fall soccer games along with a Bible tract or "no strings attached" invitation to church - we were excited about this idea, but after making tons of hot cocoa, daddy and mama's shyness won out and we didn't pass anything out Roll Eyes
  • Miscellaneous stuff through our church, such as Angel Tree project at Christmas time (family takes gifts to children of prison inmates and shares the gospel with them) - what's nice about these activities is the variety and the fact that we can refrain from participating when life gets too busy
  • Weekly church set up - we are in a church plant that meets in a school, so every weekend there's lots of setup to do; we all have fun and get to know others in our church
    • /list]
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hlpmeet21mom24kids
Guest
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2006, 07:55:39 AM »
This is a very good question.  I am excited to see what ideas others have, too.  Since it is the summer time I have found that there are more mothers home with their children.  I took this opportunity to start a ladies bible study on Monday mornings.  So far, I have two neighbors that come.  As you talk with others it is amazing how a lot of people are eager to hear the word.  The smaller bible study enables me to minister to the needs of these ladies more effectively.
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3boysmyjoys
Adept

Posts: 199


My Three Boys And My Joy


WWW
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2006, 09:14:02 AM »
Here are a few of the things our family tries to do:

     1. Backyard Bible Club...we invite all the kids in the neighborhood.  Mon.-Fri. for two hours we tell bible stories, missionary stories, play games, do songs, puppets, crafts, and snacks.  They all love it and we are able to get the gospel out.  Several of my friends and I did it this year and it was much easier than doing it on our own.

     2. I have my kids draw pictures to give to people at church and send to Grandmas.  I tell them that they are making someone happy when they do something special for them.

     3.  This is a small thing, but (my kids are only 3+5) when we are at church instead of letting them run everywhere I let them shake hands with the older folk.  We practice how to speak to them when we are at home.  I tell them to look them in the eye and smile because if someone is sad it will cheer them up.

     4.  At Christmas time we bake for all the neighbors (the kids LOVE to help with this.  We do LOTS of sprinkles  Smiley) and give out tracts with our cookies.

     5.  We are also teaching our kids to sing and play instruments so that they can be a blessing to others.

     6.  I know this is a small thing too, but, whenever we go to someone elses house we make sure the kids clean up before they leave.  I learned this from my parents and from a family who had ten kids!  When this family went to leave our house they said, "OK kids, clean up."  My house was cleaner when they left then when they came! Shocked  Their parents said, "We are teaching our kids to be a blessing."
 
« Last Edit: July 01, 2006, 09:16:08 AM by 3boysmyjoys » Logged
Hope64
Learning

Posts: 30
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2006, 08:41:48 PM »
We have been seeking God for similar opportunities to minister as a family.

We take meals to sick neighbors and friends.

The boys write a Bible verse weekly during school on paper with a border (The color the border) and then we send the verses to older folks or friends that need encouragement.

When one of our local police officers was hurt we sent her get well wishes from the children and a note from us - telling her that we appreciated her service to our community and were praying for her recovery. 

Giving out tracts.  My husband rides his bicycle 2.5 miles to work and tries to give out 10 tracts a day to those he sees along his bike route.  He has the children give tracts out when we visit our local open air food market. 

hope64
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SC
Guru

Posts: 2144


Ephesians 5:2
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2006, 09:37:12 PM »
My little ones are just learning about Jesus, but that doesn't mean we can't share Him with others. One of the ways we try to do this is by leaving literature in public restrooms. When my husband visits a facility with our boys, he leaves Pornography -- Road to Hell behind. This booklet only costs $1 and directly addresses sin and its effects without apologies and with a heart to reach sinners for Christ. I leave behind God Made Jesus To Be Sin. These tracts can be had for the cost of shipping alone. We will never know who saw them or what impact they have made until eternity. Also, we know that the pocket change we spend on the literature is being used to further the reach of NGJ.
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I'm no doctor . . .             I'm not even a Post hole Digger! Wink
InEverything
Adept

Posts: 356
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2006, 09:48:55 AM »
What are some other tracts that you all have found that you like? Thanks!
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"in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thes. 5:18
healthyinOhio
Guru

Posts: 3924


Happily Married for 8 years and proud mama of 2.
« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2006, 08:49:51 PM »
Quote from: InEverything on July 03, 2006, 09:48:55 AM
What are some other tracts that you all have found that you like? Thanks!

I know that I am pretty late with this, but just recently saw it.  Here are a few sites and ideas for tracts that we have personally used:

www.nogreaterjoy.org
The first 100 are free, then they are dirt cheap after that.  The pictures aren't as entertaining as those chick cartoon ones(sorry, Mike), but the doctrine is very sound.

www.chick.com
Very entertaining yet convicting tract at 15 cents ea.  All languages available. 

www.av1611.org
This is dial the truth ministries which they have an assortment of pamphlets.

www.avpublications.com
This site has tracts geared toward the Bible Versions and such. 

HTH and sorry it's late.
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SarahK
Master

Posts: 1809
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2006, 06:16:28 AM »
Our family (with one other couple) collects, sorts and ships 'garage sale' leftover clothing and other items.  In our area, there are City-Wide garage sales every Spring and Fall.  While hitting the sales with list for our own needs, we scope out the sale and will give the owner an info slip of who we are, what we do, what we take, phone #s and our 'pounds shipped to date' numbers.  If we say we will take all clothing, shoes, bedding and other cloth goods - all sizes all seasons AND that we will pick it up at their convenience AND that they don't have to remove tags AND that we will bag it right from their tables - we get a lot of stuff.  We supply a variety of families in need that we know personally as well as ship overseas (sometimes on our bill, sometimes on a bigger 'corporate church' bill).  Since 2001 we have shipped 7 tons our of our homes.

Pros: We meet real needs and have seen God pick out some very nice things exactly as they were needed.
Cons: takes alot of space to do this.  Can be expensive to ship if you go it alone.   Garbage*.

*We don't ship anything that shows wear - We assume the people we serve already have junk.  We also don't ship things that are distasteful.  I have discarded new skirts/shirts with store tags that don't qualify.  If you have to pay big $ for garbage disposal, it can add up.  We don't where we are.

Sarah K
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I have learned enough to know I still have lots to learn.  Teach me.
My WTM Intro updated 5/2009
Kati*did
Master

Posts: 1131
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2006, 07:56:04 AM »
I have never liked tracts very much, but Ray Comfort from Living Waters has some of the BEST.  I first heard about him when I attended his seminar (because I had to  Wink ) when I was in an IBLP program.   I love his tracts.  They combine human interest without compromising the message.  When I give these tracts, I don't feel like the person I give them to feels that I'm "condescending to their level" -- or even assuming a "level" for them at all.  He is also very funny, but not in a contemporary, flaky way.  He is very urgent and serious about the Gospel.   

His site is  http://www.livingwaters.com   

I think you'll have to copy and paste the address because my computer somehow isn't letting me link things.

Katie
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"...plain Kate, and bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst..."
txseawater
Adept

Posts: 544
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2008, 10:24:25 PM »
http://www.7xsunday.net/forum/index.php

 Cheesy

MEET
   THE NEEDS
        OF  O T H E R S !!
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Pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Mom2four
Adept

Posts: 458
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2008, 01:35:32 PM »
I have something to share that my daughter and some of her friends came up with (I'm not bragging on her or anything)  Wink  --

Anyway, my daughter who is 10 and a couple of her friends decided to start a "club" as little girls do.  They wanted their club to benefit others, so with the help of a couple of moms, they got the word out and had their first meeting about 6 months ago.  They decided to name the club JOY Girls, which stands for Jesus, Others, Yourself - and their mission is to raise money for various ministries.  In order to raise the money the rule is you have to offer something, you can't just ask for money.

The group of girls has grown to about 15 who regularly attend their monthly meeting and they have raised so far over $1500 for various ministries.  Each girl picks a few ministries that her family likes to support and each month they give the money to a different organization.  They try to do a lot with local ministries, but at Christmas they did shoe boxes for Samaritan's Purse.

The way they have raised the money has mostly been Parent's Night Out, where they have kept kids at a local church for three hours for parents to go out on a date.  There were moms there of course, but the girls did all the entertaining (crafts, etc...), snack time, stories, diapers....They did a great job.

They have also had a couple of bake sales at local churches.  They baked all the goodies themselves. This past month they were able to give a check for $700 to a local ministry called Protected Harbor that provides housing for the mentally handicapped and shares the love of Jesus.

They have truly done all the work themselves, with us moms just being around for supervision.  It has helped them with their speaking skills in advertising their next fundraiser and they have really gone over "church lines" because they all attend different churches, but they have called up many churches in the area to ask if they could have a Babysitting Night or Bake Sale at their church.  Then, they will ask the church if they have a local ministry they like to sponsor and bring that to the meeting for a vote.

It has been really amazing to see God working in them and how cheerfully they work for hours at a time and then how cheerfully they give away every penny of the money.  The people they have donated to have been very gracious and blessed as well.
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AndysDad
Scholar
Adept

Posts: 713


My 5th cousin.
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2008, 03:37:57 PM »
Quote from: InEverything on July 03, 2006, 09:48:55 AM
What are some other tracts that you all have found that you like? Thanks!
World Missionary Press
They even have  KJV!
And you can't beat the price--there is none!
We keep several languages on hand so we always have one when the opportunity arises. A Bulgarian salesman came to our house and boy did it ever surprise him when we had something in his language! He almost forgot to ask for an order.

Andy'sDad
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"The thing that separates the praying Christian from every other person on earth is the fact that he would rather live on his knees than die on his feet"  --Andy'sDad (with apologies to G. Washington)
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