Just as we adults can feel bombarded by the materialism of our society at this time of year so, too, can our children. They can so easily be drawn into the glitter and bright lights of the shopping season, deceived by ads designed to help them confuse “What I truly need” with “What I really, really want.”

As Christian adults and children, we believe a relationship with Jesus fills our deepest need. We know that his love for us is the one gift that truly lasts forever. Together, we remind one another of this—in church, in our families, in our circle of friends. For example: 

• During this Advent season, we sing songs focused on God’s gift of a Savior.
• We plan ways to do kind things for those around us.
• Maybe you remember the practice of putting a handful of hay or a single straw in a small ”manger” when you do something helpful for someone else during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Children still love that practice! It works!
• In my class, we always plan a “Happy Birthday, Jesus” party as well.

CTA has been an enormous help to me, both as a mother and a teacher, in helping children keep the main things the main things during the Christmas season. I encourage you to check out CTA’s Christmas crafts and gifts for children.

Pumpkin Prayer Bookmark

Halloween is a great example! This year, I plan to cut out bright-colored fish, a heart, and cross shapes similar to those on CTA’s Pumpkin Prayer bookmark. I also plan to cut pumpkins out of construction paper in proportion to the fish, hearts, and crosses. 

Then, using the symbols, the children can create their own pumpkin faces. If I send home the Pumpkin Prayer Activity kit or bookmark from CTA, it will explain the project and the symbols in a way most parents will notice. 

This can also work a larger scale. If you are responsible for a children’s message or devotion for children’s church in October, think about creating a giant Prayer Pumpkin in front of the group. Then send home a Pumpkin Prayer bookmark or Pumpkin Prayer Activity kit with each child. It is a great way to help equip families with tools they can use to guide them in their child’s faith formation.

Have a fun, friendly, and faith filled fall!

Grandparents help provide the roots we all need–when we’re young and later on in life, too. Unconditional love. A sense of history and of being part of something bigger than ourselves. A listening ear. A storyteller’s heart. Oatmeal cookies. Lessons in hook-baiting and kite-flying. Grandparents touch our lives in all these ways and more.

If you plan a recognition of Grandparents Day in your church this coming weekend (September 13, 2009), good for you! Thank God for his gift of family and for the legacies each worshiper has received from previous generations.

Check this site if you want to learn more about how Grandparents Day began. Think, too, about offering a simple intergenerational Sunday school event. You might serve home-made cookies and cocoa. Invite each family in attendance to partner with one or two other families. Each family may share 1) ”favorite grandparent stories”; 2) the faith legacy of each family–even if that legacy is beginning with the current generation; and 3) thoughts about 2 Timothy 1:3-7.

As you ponder the Bible text, consider what Timothy’s family must have been like. How must their faith have encouraged the great apostle Paul?! Then ask yourselves, “Who might we as a family encourage?”

One last thought. Be sure to extend a special invitation to widows, widowers, and single seniors to your event. They, too, have a contribution to make, a legacy to leave, as they mentor, teach, and serve as examples in your church.

I have a niece and nephew who will be going off to college this fall. Helping them (and kids like them) feel special takes just a little extra effort. Gift cards and personal notes are easy to mail. To go a step further, you might pick up two or three US postal priority boxes at the post office. (They are free.) It takes a $4.95 stamp to ship the smallest box. As the USPS says, “Whatever fits, ships”—no matter the weight. 

If you’re at a loss for what to add to a card or put in a box, CTA has some great items you could include. My favorite is the 911 Cell Phone Magnetic Bookmark; it will easily fit inside a card. Or consider the Ticket to Heaven Bookmark or Ticket to Heaven Pendant Set, the Be Blessed Flashlight/screwdriver (for girls) or the Strength for the Journey Multi Tool (for guys).

Food from home almost always gets the attention of college kids! Have church members donate breakfast bars, candy, cookies, and other items. Then stuff boxes with it as a Fall Festival service project. Surprise a college kid with the Pumpkin Slap Bracelet. It’s sure to be a hit!

I like to leverage the homework-free summer months to explore the Bible more fully with my children. They take a special interest in our family’s fully illustrated children’s Bible, and I’ve found that reading the stories together opens up many very teachable moments.

Whether you have children at home or not, it’s also important to walk through the doors summer opens for personal spiritual growth. I highly recommend that you find a retreat center in your area and take full advantage of it!

I’ve developed a habit of doing that once a year. It helps me rest, relax, and recharge. It also makes it possible for me to continue to do my best with the various life responsibilities Jesus entrusts to me throughout the rest of the year. Type “Christian Retreat Centers” into your Internet search engine to find a facility near your home.

Christian retreat centers are usually operated by religious orders, some by local churches or groups of churches. Most are simple, but comfortable. In general, they cost much less per day than a motel and are located in quieter settings, more conducive to prayer, Scripture study, and meditation. For people inclined to solitude, two or three days at a retreat center can create more relaxation than the two or three weeks of a typical sight-seeing vacation!

My time with her is short. Does she know how much I love her? Will she serve God with her life? Will she marry a godly man who loves the Lord and desires to raise children that will serve God, too? Too many questions, too little time.
 
As a parent and a pastor, sometimes life goes faster than I want it to. How about you? When you have time to be at home, do you just want to relax, prop your feet up, and find some mindless activity? I empathize. Even so, ministry does not end at our front door. While we minister to the congregation, who ministers to our wives and children?

What approaches have you found helpful as you “press on” in ministry to both your members and your family? Do we need to just buckle down? Or must some needs be ignored? Will we find our day of rest only when we all get to heaven? Or . . . ?

We’d love to hear from you! The newer pastors out there would appreciate thoughts and observations from those with more experience. Those with experience who still struggle (don’t we all!) will benefit from the encouragement to think this through one more time. Comment! And let’s get the dialog going. (You need not sign your name.)

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