We sat around our kitchen table on January 1, 2020 writing out dreams for this new year and new decade held for our family.  This would be the year we established Sabbath rhythms as a family and took a family beach trip. This would be the decade we shed diapers and nap times only to gain teenagers and new drivers.  The word “pandemic” definitely didn’t hit our vision board.

Honestly, the thought that a global pandemic could ever be a reality we would live through seemed implausible; like something I was more likely to experience in the comfort of a movie theatre than living within my own four walls.  The past week felt a little like ripping off a band-aid - so many aspects of my life just abruptly flipped upside down...indefinitely. The sting of the shift, of the band-aid being ripped off, will take time to adjust to for all of us.  

As a mother, I find myself processing it myself and also having to ensure my young kids are navigating this with the right level of clarity.  Their grief is not much different than mine. I miss seeing my friends over a cup of coffee and they miss running around with their friends in the yard.  I miss sitting across the table with my husband for date night and they miss meeting up with friends at the zoo, laughing and connecting over the animals they love to watch together.  I miss our church filling our home on a Tuesday night as we swap battle stories of the Kingdom of God from the past week. My kids miss that too. 

As we process with them about this pandemic-reality, we are telling them about the ways this is impacting the world.  We are talking about how grandparents around the world are getting sick and leaders are having to make hard decisions for the good of a lot of people.  We are talking about our city - about those working in healthcare working so hard and about those that work at our favorite restaurants losing their jobs.  We have been talking about the lost, poor, broken, and oppressed on a daily basis and the opportunities we have to partner with Christ to love so many being impacted by these unusual times.   

If you are a family with young kids and you want to help your little people do more than just survive the social distancing, this list may be a good place to start.  As you school at home or quarantine a house full of toddlers, take this time to teach them about God’s mission. If you have traded your office chair and co-workers for a sticky kitchen table desk and sticky co-workers, take the opportunity to minister to your children about the Kingdom of God.  Remind them of the beauty of the invitation from Christ to partner with Him to bring forth His Gospel, His love to a lost and hurting world, now more than ever. These times may be unusual with our children, but I believe the Father is giving us opportunities to invite our children to minister in new ways.  Unusual isn’t wrong. Hard isn’t bad. Let us as mothers and fathers embrace this with joy, giving thanks to God for the ways He is allowing us to disciple our children through this unexpected season!

1. Make a prayer jar with people impacted by COVID-19 - names of healthcare workers, government officials, the CDC, the elderly, small business owners you know and let each child pull from the jar at each meal.  Take time to pray together for those impacted.

2. Reach out to a healthcare worker you know (or visit Realm for a list within the Radius body) and see if you can bring coffee or doughnuts for their office to bless those working in an intense environment. 

3. Have an “art morning” and draw cards for the elderly in your life.  Mail cards to grandparents and elderly friends that you have. 

4. Draw up  a letter to your neighborhood offering to help any elderly neighbors or others impacted by quarantine and let your kids put the letters in the mailbox.

5. Use technology (Facetime, Skype, Zoom) to reach out to one of their friends - do a digital show and tell or just let the kids talk.  Explain this is a great way to encourage and love your neighbor!

6. Take your kids to buy some food from a local small business.  Talk to them about supporting people who are at risk of losing their jobs.

7. Grocery shop with your kids(online if possible) or take them with you to pick up prescriptions for any elderly person in your life.  Explain that allowing the elderly to stay home as much as possible is a wonderful way to serve them!

8. Mail letters and cards to a local nursing home (reach out for approval first - some may be limiting sources of outside mail).

9. As a family, “adopt” a front-line missionary worker to pray for specifically throughout this crisis through Voice of the Martyrs. 

10. Make cookies and give them any delivery people dropping groceries or other items at your house.

11. Teach them how to wash their hands well and explain how they are loving others well by keeping their hands clean.

12. Invite your kids to pray for kids adjusting to being out of school and parents managing all of their kids school work.  Also, pray for teachers having to learn to teach online.

13. Make pop-up bags for the homeless to drop off at Triune Mercy Center.

14. Make a meal with your kids for someone working in healthcare.  

15. Let the kids call their grandparents and just talk with them for a little while.

16. Invite your kids to pray for missionaries around the world being impacted by COVID-19.

17. Bring food for the food pantry to the Triune Mercy Center.

18. Join your local Next Door group and find needs that are posted.  Invite your kids to help meet the needs as you are able. 

19. Invite your kids to pray for unbelievers in your life and around the world who are navigating this without the peace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Pray that many would come to know Him through this!

20. Let your kids help you make a Walmart pick-up order from the Salvation Army Wish List to help them support the homeless population.  Talk with them about who you are shopping for and how the homeless are being impacted.

21. Go donate blood at The Blood Connection.  They are in desperate need of donations because of 100+ cancelled blood drives and fewer walk-in donors. Talk to your kids about how you are supporting those in need and sacrificing your physical comfort to love others who are in need.

22. Shop for items for the Greer Relief’s Food Pantry. Talk with your kids about who these items serve in our community.

23. Invite your kids to pray for followers of Jesus.  Pray for those you know and those you don’t - that they would be filled with peace in a time where it is easy to be anxious.

24. Hang your kids art up or encouraging words on the windows of your house to give those walking in your neighborhood something to make them smile.

Add ways you and your family are serving others right now in the comments!