Servant's Heart: Operation Christmas Child

I absolutely love this ministry!  It's a great way for children to serve others in a hands-on way -- just perfect for a "Servant Heart" activity!

For many years, we have packed shoebox gifts through Operation Christmas Child.  The premise is simple:  pack a shoebox full of items for a child in need.  What isn't so simple is the impact this can make on you, your child, and the child receiving the box! 

Three years ago, my oldest daughter helped me shop, pack a box, and take it to a drop-off center in our town.  Four months later, we received a photo and letter from two sisters who received our box!  Although I had included a photo and address, I never really expected to hear anything!  It was a blessing and made the whole process much more real for our family!

Last year, we packed a box and tracked where the package went using a special label we printed after we gave our shipping donation online.  It was an excellent opportunity to learn about the countries where our boxes went!

How to participate in Operation Christmas Child:

1)  Pack a shoe box:  Pick an age group, gender, and include items such as small toys, school supplies, and toiletries.  Click here to find full instructions.

2)  Drop off the box at a local collection site:  National Collection Week is November 14th-21st.  Find a collection site here.

3)  Follow your gift:  If you make your gift donation online (to cover shipping costs), you can print out a special label and track the gift!  Find instructions here.

If you are unable to pack a shoebox, Samaritan's Purse (the sponsoring ministry of Operation Christmas Child) also offers a gift catalog.  You can give funds to purchase livestock, feed a baby for a week, give sports equipment, purchase mosquito nets, and much, much more.

Servant Heart: Serving Each Other at Home

One of the ways I try to encourage a heart for service in my girls is by encouraging them to serve each other at home!  It doesn't have to be hard, but you do have to be intentional.  

Here are a few things we do:

• Talk about what it means to serve someone and brainstorm ideas for serving each other.
• Help each child pick one way they can serve a sibling or parent every day.  For instance, we will often put away someone's laundry without them knowing or work together to pick up someone's messy room.  I always verbally draw attention to the fact that we are serving each other.
• Share stories of ways you've served others in the past (or how you're serving others now).  Share stories about how your child/children have served.
• Read stories from the Bible and talk about ways the people served each other.

What are some ways you encourage your children to serve one another in love?

(Also, I'm working on a list of ideas of ways families can serve each other, the church, and the community.  If you have any ideas, please let me know!!)