Starbuck’s employees take pride in knowing what time their customers come in, being able to name their favorite drink, and knowing which table they pick. Employees strive to “surprise and delight” their customers, turning an ordinary cup of coffee into an extraordinary experience. Starbuck’s is a place to relax, a place where someone knows your name. 

That’s what we try to do with our Parent’s Day Out program. We want to care—physically, spiritually, and emotionally—for a community. 

As a leader in this program, part of my job involves knowing and caring for each child. I love to see the surprise and delight in the children’s eyes and on each child’s face as we sing a new song or master a new skill. 

When one of our children has been blessed with a new sibling, we intentionally work to help the big brother or sister feel special. We realize that all the attention at home may seem to focus on the new baby. Mom may well have less time for the older child(ren). And so we make an intentional effort to care for that child. 

Throughout the year, we stay as connected as possible to families, striving to learn what is going on in their lives so we can support parents and affirm the special role God has given them in the lives of their children. We look for ways to show them a God who turns life’s ordinary details into extraordinary blessings. 

We want to model a personal God, a Savior who knows, loves, and forgives each of us personally. We want every family member to know they matter—individually—to him.

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. . . . Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Romans 12:10-12, 13-15 (The Message)