Community Service, a Mission for Everyone
May 15, 2019
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Deborah Wuehler
"Come" and "Go"
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Todd Wilson
One Season at a Time
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Jodi Riddle
Serving Others
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Kerry Tittle
Homeschooling and Community Service
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“Come” and “Go”
Community service can be as simple as helping your kids to rake your elderly neighbor’s leaves to helping a candidate run for office . . . from baking goods for a fundraiser to bringing a meal to a new mom in your neighborhood. Jesus was a community servant. It is Who He was and what He did. He had compassion on those in His community and fed them and healed them and taught them.
Because Jesus was a community servant, we have tried to be the same wherever possible. Over our homeschooling years, we have visited convalescent homes, served crisis pregnancy centers, fed the homeless, created events for homeless children, stood in pro-life chains and in front of clinics, passed out tracts, visited the sick in hospitals, cleaned the homes of those in need, gone to state capitols for rallies, and been a part of many church outreach events. We have visited and supported those in prison and have even taught our children about supporting their local church and other ministries with the money the LORD has provided them.
Two main commands the Lord gives us in Scripture are “Come” and “Go.” He calls us to come to Him and then to go out in His Name. We come to Him and bring our children with us. We go in His Name and bring our children with us.
This is one of the beauties in homeschooling our children: we are allowed the freedom to live Biblically in our own homes and communities.
Community involvement begins at home in the talking part. We teach our children the “whys” of service, and then we live it out. We walk with our children through many areas of service in our communities, and it can start with our own neighbors. It can be uncomfortable and inconvenient, but it is what we are called to do.
Micah 6:8 tells us what the Lord requires of us: “To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”
We are to do justly
: Stand up for righteousness and truth in our communities.
We are to love mercy
: Help the widows and fatherless which is pure religion and undefiled before God.
We are to walk humbly with our God
: Where did Jesus walk when He was on the earth? Within the church and in the community, in the meeting places of sinners, and with the sick and dying. We can walk humbly with Him out into our own communities as well.
Jesus certainly didn’t just hang out at home with his disciples all the time. He took them out with Him into the community. We should do the same with the little disciples He’s given to us.
Coming and Going with You,
~Deborah
Join me next month at the
SCOPE Conference
June 7-8! One of the main speakers is a pioneer hero of mine:
Zan Tyler!
Also coming up in June, my daughter, Hannah Wuehler, will be taking a group of high school and college-aged students on a West Coast pro-life tour. If you have young adults who would like to be trained in Biblical ethics, apologetics, and pro-life evangelism, this would be a great opportunity for them. E-mail Hannah at
[email protected]
for more information.
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Explore historical sites, enjoy outdoor activities, or just relax at the spacious Bradshaw Lodge! It's the perfect get-away for families, churches, or homeschool groups!
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One Season at a Time
Oh, sure, heap on the guilt! Now we need to do community service on TOP of all the other things we do? I know the fields are white unto harvest and that our mission field can be right in our own neighborhood . . .
but we homeschool, do church, and are part of a busy co-op . . . and barely have time to eat a meal together some nights.
So instead of making you feel guilty for not doing enough . . . let me say, God knows there are seasons. Your mission is your family . . . and training your children. You’ll still come across real people from time to time that you can minister to . . . at the store, the post office, and the gas station.
It's kind of like when Jesus told the story of the Samaritan. His point was whoever God brings across your path . . . they're your neighbor, and you're supposed to take care of their needs.
So instead of looking for more stuff to do . . . just be aware of the people you cross paths with. Make sure your kids are friendly, thoughtful, and leave a good taste in the mouths of the strangers they meet. I'm telling you the world takes notice of homeschoolers because they stick out like shining stars in this world of ours. But don't sweat it if your “stars” don't get out much. This is a season . . . and one day (God willing) you'll have plenty of time to be involved in your community and other people's lives.
Don't miss this wonderful “season” because of guilt or longing for the next season.
Be real,
Todd
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Be challenged and encouraged as you explore the courageous lives of the Christian Heroes and Heroes of History! Website:
http://ywampublishing.com
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Serving Others
Community service is defined as voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area. Why would this be beneficial to any student? First and foremost, I believe it follows the example of Christ. Mark 10:45 tells us, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Teaching our children to sacrificially give of themselves for the benefit of others is not only rewarding but can be a humbling reminder of what Christ has done for them.
It also can teach children a multitude of invaluable skills such as communicating with others, teamwork, problem solving, and work ethics, which can sometimes be hard to teach in the classroom setting. There are various ways to carry out community service, but it almost always requires interaction with others and a specific task to accomplish, which a textbook cannot necessarily provide. When thinking of academics and the normal schooling scenario, we sometimes forget that our children will someday be out on their own. These experiences can help with understanding the world around them and give them confidence when that time comes.
Service projects can be done individually or as a family. Many times, there are elderly neighbors or widows that you can assist with yard/house work or make a weekly meal. Churches also have missions’ projects or outreach opportunities that allow you to serve your community and others around the world. There are many organizations that are always looking for volunteers to assist in serving the community by serving meals at homeless shelters, distributing food at food banks, beautifying community parks, volunteering at the local library, or just stuffing envelopes for a mass mailing campaign.
Regardless of the project or the way it is accomplished, serving is something that we all can do. It is important to teach our children how to serve others, and community service is a great way to provide that opportunity.
Jodi has been with TOS since April 2016. She serves as a Operations Manager and is also the
Homeschooling with Heart
blog manager. Jodi is a pastor’s wife and has three adult sons. She homeschooled for eighteen years and also taught in the private and public-school settings. Jodi enjoys teaching, playing the piano, scrapbooking, and making cards. Her heart’s desire is to help others learn to enjoy these things as well!
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Homeschooling and Community Service
Sometimes it seems that there is such a chasm between “us” and “them” (public school and homeschool) that we begin to isolate ourselves from other areas of public community. This can become a great disservice to our children as well as the community we live in.
Several years ago, I had concerns about some of the policies in the Boy Scouts of America. I pulled my Cub Scout out. When God called me to single parenting, the same men came back to me and told me they respected my decision to leave scouting, but they were there if I needed help raising a young man. The following fall, I signed my boys up, and the impact of doing community service with the pack and troop has been invaluable to our family. They have served in nursing homes, parks, churches, and various other areas in the community. Recently, my son organized his Eagle Scout Project by pulling up fencing for the Nature Conservancy. The experience he gained working alongside neighbors and other volunteers was very impactful. He has since taken on other projects on his own such as building a lending library for a low income community.
Of course we need to help to take care of those in the body of Christ, but I can’t stress enough the impression serving others outside the church has left on my children. They have learned to own a sense of responsibility in their community, even if it is just picking up some trash at a park.
Here are some ways to help your family have a community mindset:
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Study what Scripture says about serving others.
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Make goody bags for the homeless. We usually put a snack, bottled water, pair of new socks, toothbrush, etc. with a note reminding them they are loved. We try to constantly have those available in the car.
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Volunteer for after school programs (Yes, public schools!).
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Deliver meals.
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Serve in political campaigns.
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Work with Habitat for Humanity.
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Volunteer at food pantries.
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Volunteer at retirement homes.
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Volunteer at hospitals.
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Collect non-perishables for a food bank.
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Have a party and send cards or packages to deployed troops.
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Help rake yards for your elderly neighbors.
The list can be endless but the truth is that there are so many organizations in your area that would be thrilled to have a family volunteer their time.
In a world that exalts self-indulgence, I honestly can’t think of a better way to teach our children to reflect the grace of God toward a lost world than to serve it together. It may push us outside of our comfort zone, but after a while, it won’t feel quite so uncomfortable, and it may establish service as a normal part of our children’s lives. In the process, community service becomes an opportunity to love your neighbor and share Christ with a needy world.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Kerry Tittle is a mother of nine children and a 20-year homeschool veteran. She was the owner of ReformationKidz with her husband Rob until a tornado destroyed their home and business in 2014, taking the lives of Rob and two of their daughters, Tori and Rebekah. Kerry is the founder of
Refined Family
, which is created to encourage others to find hope in the gospel in the midst of trials.
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One of the ways you can help your children develop a heart for service is by helping them understand the needs of the world around them. But once they have a burden to serve, we need to guide them as they look for ways they can help make a difference. Otherwise, the burden can seem overwhelming. One of the ways your membership to
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