Family Outreach Ideas

Michelle emailed me this question :

I just recently came across your blog a couple of weeks ago and have been enjoying it. You mentioned that Friday’s were your outreach days. May I ask what kind of outreach you do with your children?

Perhaps some tips on how to begin if a person hasn’t yet started one? I have been wanting to do one for a while but I do have an A.D.D. boy, a pretty energetic, bouncy 7 year old girl and one teen girl. I have been trying to figure out what to do with them, but with the boy who has a hard time with interacting with others at times it is difficult to know what kinds of things we could do that would be a blessing and not trying for both him and the people involved that would be receiving ministry.

What a great question and I am honored to try to answer it! It has always been one of my goals as a parent to develop in my children a heart for ministry. All too often we think of ministry as being a missionary in a faraway land or participating in a church crusade or something of that nature. When we view the life of Christ though, we see that He reached out to the people He met throughout the course of His day whereever He was staying.  This is the model I want to represent for my children. I also want to train them to have their “spiritual radar” honed so that they can be sensitive to those in need, whether it is a smile, a prayer or a friendly letter in the mail or something much bigger. I believe the only way I can train them to hone that radar and grow in compassion for others is by actually doing it.

I also realize that if we don’t purpose to put others first on a regular basis, our days, weeks and months can easily fill up with things to do. So I decided quite a while ago that part of our home school education would be to set apart a ministry day. It made sense in our schedule to do this on Fridays.

We have done various things on these days as the Lord has lead us. Once we began to pray and seek who He would have us reach out to, there was no shortage of people and ideas He brought to our hearts!

Who does God call us to reach out to? In Scripture we are told to care for the widows, the orphans, the elderly, and the poor.  So begin by asking yourself: do you have any of these people around you? In your family, in your neighborhood, in your church? You will likely be able to think of many people. If not, there are organizations such as nursing homes and food pantries that you can volunteer your time or donate to. Here are a few things we have done for our ministry days:

::Visit widowed family members or the elderly

This has been one thing that we do the most and that my children enjoy the most! We have a few aunts that have lost their husbands in recent years, and really look forward to our visits.  Often times you can ask around your church if you cannot think of anyone yourself. There is also a home care facility near us that has an adopt an elderly person program that we will participate in this summer. If you visit an elderly person, perhaps you can take them outside to get some fresh air while your younger child plays. The elderly love to watch little children play and have fun. If you are visiting in someones home, invite them to come outside and walk with you if possible, and let your son run around and burn off some energy! I have a wiggly seven year old boy as well, so I have had to get creative in this area!

::Write letters

We began a few years ago having my children write random letters to family, church members and those who are lonely. It started out as a way to get some extra writing into our school schedule and has taken off into a ministry on its own! I have been amazed at how much this means to people. My daughter currently writes to a 102 year old woman in a nursing home a few towns away that she has never even met.  I have a letter writing box that contains paper, cards, stamps, envelopes, and addresses all in one place. Each week I encourage them to choose a person to write to and then we mail it out. We have even had people send along stamps to us so we could keep the letters coming!

::Donate to a local food pantry

Each week we try to purchase a few extra items that we can donate to a food pantry. Usually by the end of the month we have a nice sized box of items to give.  I use coupons and watch for deals for non perishable items that we can stockpile. It is an excellent way for your children to learn math and shopping as well as giving. Have them set a budget, clip the coupons, purchase the items and then deliver them with you. Many food pantries also need some help stocking their shelves or organizing etc. Ask them if  you could volunteer a period of time helping them. If you get your younger ones involved like this they are more likely to want to participate and feel a great sense of purposefulness.

::Donate clothing or toys

Many times  I will  have my children clean out their drawers and toys and we will pile them up and donate them to a local thrift shop that serves those in need.  You can also participate in Toys For Tots or a Coats for Kids program, involving your child as much as you can in choosing a toy or coat, and delivering it.

::Volunteer at Church Suppers or Soup Kitchens

My ten year old loves to serve, so she goes with my parents a lot to their monthly Spaghetti supper and helps out with serving and cleaning up.

Those are just a few ideas to get you started.  I think the most important thing is to pray about where God would use you and allow Him to lead.I am sure that He will guide you into just the right thing for your family

A few other thoughts for ministering with younger children:

::If you are visiting, it doesn’t have to be long.  Even a short visit is a blessing.

::Explain what you are doing and what you expect from them while you are doing it. Its a great time to practice obedience training!

::Get them involved as much as possible in what you are doing. This will hold their interest and keep their attention longer. If you are visiting, have them help you draw a picture or bake some cookies to bring along. If you are donating items, have them help you pack them and deliver them. I have found that my younger children have a natural heart towards service and love to feel as though they are being big helpers for God.

For your teen, a whole slew of opportunities are available and it is a great time for them to put feet to their faith. What does she like to do? Can she play an instrument? If so, perhaps she could teach a younger child whose family would not be able to afford professional lessons, or she could go to a nursing home and play for the elderly. Can she write? Encourage her to start up a family newsletter, a blog or a newsletter encouraging other girls in their faith. Can she lead? Encourage her to start a Bible study with some neighborhood children. Can she sew? Perhaps she can donate some goods to a fund raiser, or sell them herself and donate the funds to an organization. Can she bake (or learn to bake this summer)? Maybe she can make a meal for a family in need. Perhaps she can spend a day helping a mother with her chidlren, cleaning for someone who is sick or recovering from a surgery or illness etc.  Help her find her natural God given gifts and abilities and begin using them for the Lords purposes. She will be a blessing and be blessed!

I hope I answered your question, although I am sure I just scratched the surface of what can be done to minister to to others. ! I would love to hear back from you on any ideas you have implemented with your children in ministering and serving!

Do you have any outreach ideas that you do with your children? If so, I’d love it if you would share them in the comments with us so we can be encouraged and inspired!