If you are called to teach, you are also called to minister. Does this mean that you will be standing in the pulpit next week preaching a sermon? No, it doesn’t. It does mean that you should be reaching out to families of the children in your class or department. Use these simple tips to help you meet the needs of the families in your care.
Going Through Divorce
- Pray for the adults and children involved.
- Do not take sides. Try to minister to both parents.
- Be sure the pastor or another staff member knows of the situation.
- Send texts, cards or call with words of encouragements and prayer.
- Going through divorce can bring times of loneliness. Offer time for lunch and meet at a restaurant once a month.
- Encourage parents to join a support group in your church or community
Military Deployment
- Pray for the family
- Arrange for meals to be delivered once a week during the deployment
- Give kids supplies to make a paper chain to add a link each day the parent is gone. You can provide labels with Bible verse and encouraging thoughts to be added to the links. Ask the child and parent to create the chain together and display. The kids can remove a link each day the parent is gone and watch the chain get smaller as the “Welcome Home!” arrival day gets closer.
- Provide a notebook or journal for the older kids to write in each day while their parent is away.
Financial Difficulties
- Pray for the family.
- Take grocery store gift cards for the family to use.
- Offer free baby-sitting.
- Provide a picnic lunch for the class that is free to the families.
In General
Looks can be deceiving. Even families who appear okay can be in need. You’ll never know unless you make contact. Call your class each month because a simple reminder that you care may be all it takes to earn their trust. Organize a play date so you get a few minutes just to talk to parents while kids play.
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