As I was thinking and praying about this upcoming year, I began thinking of ways that my family can grow spiritually together in the year 2013 and then I thought about ways that families at Stillmeadow can grow together too. It's important for me to say "together" because I really believe that my role as a father is not just to teach my children, but also allow them to teach me. By learning from them I affirm that they have something to contribute and encourage them to do so!
So here is a starter list of ways that teens and parents and children can grow in Christ together in 2013.
Pray Together
- Pray for your school district officials and teachers. Find a list of people who serve in your district, put it on the fridge and pray.
- Take time each day to look at the news headlines and choose one or more situations to pray for.
- Go for prayer walks in your neighborhood. What's a prayer walk? It's when you walk and pray for the people or places that you pass or that God comes to mind.
- Pray over the prayer requests listed in the Stillmeadow weekly bulletin.
- Ask your parent or teen how you can pray for them. Then do it. Right there. Right then. And through the week.
Serve Together
- Find a way to serve your parent or teen in a way you normally don't.
- Choose a ministry to serve in together.
- Bake cookies and give them out to neighbors.
- Visit a shut in from your church together.
- Serve at the York Rescue Mission with the Stillmeadow youth ministry. We go the first Friday of every month (including THIS Friday!)
Engage Scripture Together
- Tell your teen or parent what God is teaching you through the Bible and ask what God is teaching them.
- Memorize a scripture per week. Want good verses to memorize? Just check the back of your bible or google "Scripture Memory Verses" and you'll find a ton of places to start!
- Read a passage at whatever meal you regularly eat together. You can find great memory plans on Bible Gateway or on the YouVersion Bible App.
Practice Gratitude together
- Take a moment each day to thank your parent or teen for something they did.
- Write thank you notes to the teachers and volunteers and supervisors in your life. List specific ways they have blessed you.
- Write thank you notes to fire fighters and other civil servants.
- At each meal or before school or bed have every one share one thing or person they are thankful for.
Do Justice Together
- Adopt a compassion child as a family. You can go through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries or Compassion International.
- Buy double the ingredients for one meal a week and leave the doubles in the Stillnaz Food Pantry or at the drop bin in the front of your grocery store.
- Strategize and practice random acts of kindness together.
This is just a starter list. There are many other ways to grow together. If you think of some, I'd love to hear them!
