Church Moms - What Ministries Are You In? Your Kids?

I volunteer at our church's food pantry which is Wed 5-7pm and Fri from 10-2pm. The kids have gone with me on Friday's where they get to see how its set up and what happens when the people come to get food. But they don't actually "help" since its during school and they have only gone once when it was 1/2 day. The kids have a lot of activities with their classes at church which we encourage. I have thought about doing something with them in the community but really, I don't know how much time we would have. I don't like them doing too many things on a school night and we only get them every other weekend. I would like to do something with the seniors in the area. Maybe visit at a nursing home or something, not sure. I hope you find something that works for you. Good luck.

I just spent two years on an interim ministry transition team. I serve on the Christian Education Committee. I teach Sunday school on a rotation. I do the after service coffee and refreshments. My boys attend Sunday school and sing in the childrens choir. My older son reads scriptures during the service from time to time. The boys help out with food bank and with Christmas hampers. They bus tables at church functions. They attend committee and board meetings with me because mt husband works evenings. They help me with refreshments. They deliver church flyers to the houses in our community.

How often do you serve at the shelter? Could you serve maybe twice a month with your son in a different ministry? Like the food pantry? Or even let him direct his own food drive? My 8-year-old did that one year for Thanksgiving and we fed a lot of families.

We aren't currently serving with any ministries. I wanted to serve in the food pantry but the hours are during my work schedule. My 8-year-old is passionate about feeding the hungry and about animals. We took her to tour the animal shelter. She's not old enough to volunteer just yet but she got to see how everything worked, and she enjoyed that.

Thing is, it doesn't take a lot of time to instill a passion for serving in our children. He sees you doing it. Maybe he doesn't know the details, but he knows, and leading by example is always the greatest way to teach.

Hebrews 6:9 & 10

I serve in a small church so our ministries are not as huge but very personal! We had a local nursing home ministry when they were little. The residents LOVED seeing them. My H is a deacon and has served as treasurer for years, my oldest has counted money and copied things. We teach Sunday School but the kids had their own. We have work days where we do what's needed. My oldest played drums for our youth group and now the youngest (18) plays keyboard on Sundays. I do a local Moms in Prayer, which is an International ministry to pray for our students and teachers.

It is great when you can include your kids and I can affirm that if you consider it important, they will too. Be sure to pray about it. Mostly, just show up! Be available and God will give you the grace to serve where he needs you and your kids will see the light that gives and want that also.
If you feel like you make a difference where you are then your kids wiil still know.

Is there a way that your son can be involved, but not be at the place where you serve? Maybe make no-tie blankets with him to give to clients.

I do most of my ministry locally. Working with the homeless, my son doesn't come to the shelter. He helps pack , sort and count their Christmas gifts with me.

I do the lighting and special events work at my church. My son helps me carry equipment.

I do Sunday School. His job with this is to not cause a ruckus when I teach (at least that is what I am hoping for for next Sunday!)

He is 3.5. I do feel that he serves along side of me.

My ministry choices were based on my talents and on a tradition that I have with friends to help the homeless.

Verses: Matt 22:37
Matt 25:34-30

Maybe you already do this, but I would pray diligently and ask God to help you know where He wants you to serve. I would pray as a family for God's guidance in this area. I am excited for you Mama because I know God will bless your efforts to be His hands and feet to those in need. My daughters (7 and 9) and I are involved in homeless ministries. Blessings

During the summer my boys and I volunteer to help every Friday with the church's food pantry. We have a truck, so we go to a local Walmart that donates food, and we fill up the truck. Then we take it back to the church, weigh it, record it, and stock the food pantry to get it ready for those in need. My boys are old enough to help with all of this. We can only do this in the summer because I teach, and the boys are in school during the school year.

Throughout the year we visit an assisted living home weekly, and the boys go with me. My blind step-father who also has MS lives there, but we make a point to visit with all of the residents. So many of them don't have visitors.

MATTHEEW 25:40

First of all, thank you, A.! The world needs more people like you!!! In the past, I have served in various areas of the church - Sunday School, Bible Studies, etc. but found that I was feeling more like God was calling me to get "my hands dirty" and really reach out in the community. In the end, I ended up joining an organization that specializes in helping at the local level in a variety of capacities and training its volunteers to serve in the most effective possible way. I LOVE IT!!!! For me, it has really become an extension of church for me, even though the organization is not affiliated with a church. For most of the projects we have been involved in, I have been able to drag my kids along to give them a taste of all the different ways you can serve in the community. They enjoy it as well and I can already see signs that my older daughter has really developed a great deal of empathy and a sense of concern for others. The National Charity League is another organization that was developed to help mothers and daughters serve at the local level. Surely there is something out there for families or mothers/sons?!?! The Salvation Army, your local food pantry, soup kitchen, thrift store... all are great places for your kids to serve alongside you.

As a side note, my parents "forced" me to do some volunteer work as a teen. My first little "job" was raking leaves at a children's home when I was about 15. I can remember being bored out of my mind. But the funny thing is, somehow I got bit by the volunteer "bug" and have never looked back. I can't tell you how fulfilling it is to serve and to give to others. I'm sure you know that otherwise you wouldn't be doing what you do with your current volunteer work. All that to say, though, I am SO grateful that my parents were so instrumental in "making" me take that first step. Otherwise I don't think I would have the heart for it today!

God bless you, A.!