Do as I do…not as I say

I am still smiling! We had such great response to “Hanging with my Family.” Almost 250 parents and kids came for a fun family night of food, games and prizes. Kid’s asked me at the end of the event, “When can we do this again?” “I wish you lived at my house so we could do fun things like this all the time.” Parents responded positively to the family devotional games. “Thanks for giving us tools to continue teaching our kids about God at home.”

But one of the highlights of the event for me was personally living out Psalm 78:5, “...He commanded the fathers to teach their children….” Passing on our faith is the responsibility of every parent. It is so easy to “tell” my kids what they should do- to tell them to serve God. But part of passing on our faith is modeling to our kids and inviting them to “do as we do”- to serve as we serve.

My mom did this well for me. She was actively involved in children’s ministry all her life. She made sure I did not just “tag along” with her. She made sure I served with her. I have tried to do the same with my girls. I was so honored to have my daughter Kristin serve with me and help me direct “Hanging with My Family.” Kristin teaches 5th grade at Explorer Elementary. The two of us planned together, prayed together, shared ideas. She learned from me and I learned from her.

Kristin:
Ever since I was a little girl, I loved doing things with my mother. My mom and I are very different when it comes to planning things and doing things certain ways. BUT, at the end of the day, we have the same focus….God. This event was not about us, it was about us working together to help families learn about how to have fun with each other and how to learn about God. That is the best reward being able to work with my mom….because we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves! For this event I was able to bring fresh, new ideas to the table and she brought wisdom and experience. We each had something to use for the greater good. I think kids need to not just watch their parents do things, I think they need to be involved.

Bonnie:
Where do you serve? Are your children a part of what you do? Do you praise them for their involvement with you? Do you help them see God’s approval for their service? Your children will not learn how to serve by just watching you. They will learn how to serve by serving with you.
There is a family in our church who model this so well. Gary and Alice Brunette and their children, Matthew, Abby, and Megan serve in so many ways at this church. And they are always doing it together. At “Hanging with My Family” they were serving as one team. You may want to talk to them to get ideas about serving as a family. You can find the family hanging out at the Children’s Ministry registration center on Sunday mornings.