This article arrives third in a series examining five spiritual maturity indicators for children’s ministries that all begin with the letter G—Grace, Growth, Groups, Gifts, and Good Stewardship. We’ve already looked at Grace, heard about Growth and Groups, so now we’ll grab hold of Gifts and Good Stewardship.
The human hand performs many miraculous tasks. Unlock a door, type on a keyboard, or turn the thin pages of a magazine—all require precise, coordinated motions that happen without much attention. Hands also play important roles in a life of faith: folding them to pray, clasped with others in Christian community, even raised as part of worship in some churches. Yes, our hands do plenty.
And those same hands make their largest impact when extended to lend help (Gifts) or to give away something valuable (Good Stewardship)—because those moments reveal the abundance of a heart devoted to God. In children’s ministry, we believe that God touches hearts of any size, so the same must be true of hands.
Gifts
First Corinthians 12:7 says Christians receive spiritual giftedness as a “manifestation of the spirit for the common good.” These gifts represent talent to be deployed serving God. However, expecting a child to know exactly what his or her gifts are is unrealistic. We can, though, encourage kids to participate in work for the common good in meaningful ways. And those ways often extend past church walls.
When seven-year-old Amanda heard about a church program that provides school backpacks filled with supplies to under-resourced children, she immediately knew she wanted to help. Her father suggested that she fund this opportunity on her own.
So Amanda, a good baker for her age, made chocolate chip cookies and sold them door-to-door. With plastic bags containing cookies and heart filled with determination, she visited neighbors and described the backpack project. Many people purchased a bag or two, which yielded $34.08. Her parents bought the final two bags for 92 cents, so she reached the $35 amount she needed.
“The most fun,” says Amanda, “was shopping for the pink and purple backpack and the brand new school supplies.” After creatively decorating a box to put everything in, she brought it to the drop-off center at church—and knew that another child somewhere would go to school well equipped. After all her efforts, Amanda felt that this project was a good thing to do for the right reason.
“God likes it when you help other people,” she says.
Every local church has plenty of work happening internally to make it run and externally to serve the community. With all that activity in motion, children’s ministries can help kids explore different uses of the gifts and talents the Holy Spirit provides. Providing assistance is critical, though, because children typically don’t stumble into serving on their own.
To start, develop a list of kid-appropriate tasks to help the church operate on weekends and evenings. These roles must offer real contribution—meaning they don’t require a child to stand and smile as a novelty to church attendees. Facility set-up teams, cleaning teams, and groundskeeper teams represent three general possibilities. For children who have developed talent in a specific area, then drama teams, music teams, or other artistic teams might be options. Tangible work on a team will prove fun and offer a sense of belonging, as well as provide value to the church. People of all ages typically prefer to serve together.
Then look toward the programs your church offers to help others in the community. Select the opportunities that offer a clear connection to the world of your ministry’s kids. Amanda could easily see the value of a fully stocked backpack for another student. Children in our ministry have the chance to pack meals for homeless people, and they fully understand how food makes a difference in the lives of those without. Lessons at an early age about serving the needs of others will stay with a child for a lifetime. Maybe even beyond.
Matthew 25:31-46 describes a judgment that results in sheep and goats, and confirms Amanda’s belief that God likes it when we help other people. So consider these two questions to evaluate Gifts as an indicator in your ministry, and take action where needed:
- Do kids have a positive attitude toward serving God?
- Do children participate in acts of service, aside from programs your ministry corporately provides?
Good Stewardship
Saving money proved fun for Scott. At age eight, he had amassed a total of thirty-two dollars from January through mid-August—a significant amount considering his birthday was still to come. But another celebration arrived first.
While his family drove to their favorite restaurant one evening, Scott wanted to know if this was a special occasion. Sure enough, his parents were celebrating their wedding anniversary. Later that night at home, Scott presented his mom and dad with a hand-made card with a surprise inside—32 dollars!
At first, his parents did not want to take the money because they realized it was all he had. But then they realized the gravity of his gift, and how much he must love them to give up all his savings. Plus, he told them his rationale: “I want you to feel special on your special day!”
Scott’s story is probably not the Good Stewardship story you expected. In churches, the word “stewardship” typically refers to giving money to the church, not to parents. As a spiritual maturity indicator, though, Good Stewardship is much more than just placing something is an offering basket.
Good Stewardship begins with a fundamental belief that all material positions have been trusted to us by God, and the challenge is to wisely manage them. God’s plan requires that we keep a loose grip on our treasures, as the rich young ruler in Matthew 19 discovered. And because of his love, not simply a reckless impulse, Scott showed willingness to part with all his accumulated treasure.
“Easy to do when it’s only $32,” some might say. Unfortunately, that misses the main point. The lesson kids (and most adults) need to learn is to develop a loose grip regardless of the amount. To Scott, his gift represented everything he had. I admit that I’m honestly uncertain if I could let go of just 20 percent. A grip is a grip, no matter the amount.
Imagine the impact of kids today growing up trusting God, the Provider, more than they love money and other treasures. Good Stewardship becomes evident and God becomes pleased when giving happens freely from a heart convinced that everything comes as a gift from Him. And the recipient of such giving can be the church or anyone else in need. Maybe even someone you love and want to make feel special.
Two questions will help you assess the level to which Good Stewardship is in the heart of your children:
- Do kids feel joy when they give money to a cause that serves other people? (hint: it’s okay to ask them)
- Does your ministry teach children that everything, including treasure of all sorts, belongs to God first? Can you point to specific lessons?
Any discussion about giving can easily turn into dialogue about the sacrificial gift that came from heaven for you and for me. Ironically, awareness of that sacrifice takes us back to the first G—Grace—where spiritual maturity begins.
Susan DeLay is the media relations manager for Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois.
David Staal, senior editor of Today’s Children’s Ministry, serves as the president of Kids Hope USA, a national non-profit organization that partners local churches with elementary schools to provide mentors for at-risk students. Prior to this assignment, David led Promiseland, the children’s ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. David is the author of Words Kids Need to Hear (2008) and lives in Grand Haven, MI, with his wife Becky, son Scott, and daughter Erin.
Copyright © 2006 Promiseland.
