Little hands can serve in big ways.
In 2010, I worked with the preschool pastor at University Baptist Church to create a 4-day mission camp for kindergarteners called KJOY: Kindergartners learning to serve Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. Each summer since, I have continued to lead this outreach opportunity for some of our youngest members. Each summer, I hosted between 6 and 12 students who had just completed kindergarten for the 4 days of KJOY. These children learned that they are not too young to serve Jesus or the community. First, they learned different stories in the Bible where Jesus served others Himself. Then, the children put those lessons into practice. They worked in the church garden to harvest crops for the Clear Lake Food Pantry while also planting crops to be harvested later. They then delivered their harvest to the food pantry where they went on a tour to see how the pantry serves the hungry families in our community. They also decorated grocery bags with encouraging messages and beautiful art to inspire the families receiving food that week. The children were able to connect the idea that their busy hands in the garden were a part of feeding the hungry in our area. The children baked cookies and wrote thank you notes for the staff at The Bridge Over Troubled Water, a local women and children’s shelter. We took the children to deliver their thank you notes. They heard from the staff about the work done at the shelter and were taught ways that they could continue to encourage the work happening there. They felt great because they made so many people smile that day! The children put together snack bags for the homeless in our community. The parents were instructed to use their discretion to allow their children to distribute a snack bag when they encounter someone in need of a snack at intersections or other places in our area. The children baked cookies and learned songs to sing to a group of senior citizens who meet weekly in our church. At the end of the week, the parents were equipped with a list of ways that their families can continue to serve the community on their own or with groups of friends with much encouragement from me to make service a regular part of their family’s routines.
Empowering Parents
Each year, I always feel that empowering parents to learn how simple it can be to serve with their children is the best part of my work. While parents don’t participate during KJOY, they learn from daily emails and their own children easy, practical ways to meet needs in our community. Building the confidence of the parents is one of the most crucial steps in developing children who will learn the fun and joy in serving for their entire lives.
Developing Service in Others
Service is just a part of who I am, but service is also something that I want to develop in others. As a Christian, I feel it’s vital to meet both the spiritual and physical needs of those around me. Volunteering is a perfect way to develop management styles in a variety of ways. From the coordination of events and logistics to meeting a wide variety of personalities and skill sets right where they are, service prepares me for the leadership roles in my professional life.