Mothers Day? Remember Children!

 Around Mother's Day and Father’s Day, I always remember the queries that came from our children as we celebrated. They asked, “When’s Children’s Day?”  My answer, “Every day is Children’s Day!”  That was a flip answer.  For too many children in the world, no day is “Children’s Day.”  Let’s make sure that we don’t forget to include the children in our own churches – with age-appropriate activities and information – when we become involved in mission outreach.  Not only will we enable them to be “formed” by the involvement, but they will be making a witness to other children through their actions.

•  Encourage your pastor and those who work with your children to bring your confirmands to the Conference Center next spring for a 3-hour “tour.”  It’s way more than a tour!  Between 75 and 90 young people attended each of those tours this spring.  (We offered nine tours; our final one was last Saturday morning.)  Beth Nelson estimates that over 800 confirmands experienced the “tours” this year.  Divided into clusters of 15-30 young people, groups moved from station to station in the Conference Center.  (One of those stations was with the bishop.)  At the VIM station, Emma Smith and I interacted with the youth (and the adults who brought them), teaching them about Volunteers in Mission, the Mission Barn, and UMCOR.  As a hands-on project, they were divided into teams and put together Health Kits.
• When I asked confirmands if they had ever been “Volunteers in Mission,” some of them replied in the affirmative.  Some of them had participated with a parent serving food at a Soup Kitchen, delivering Meals on Wheels, helping to stock food pantries.  Those parents should have stars in their crowns!  What a great way to pass on a Christian value. There are also many family friendly VIM experiences.  Check out this web site:  http://www.gbgm-umc.org/westernvim/index_files/Families.
• Find ways to incorporate mission (both learning about and doing) into Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.  The curriculum developed for children at Schools of Mission is excellent.  Creative teachers can adapt it to both Sunday School and VBS.  Some churches designate the first Sunday of every month as Mission Sunday.  That Sunday they use mission material for their lessons.
•  If you don’t receive the “United Methodist Children’s Fund for Christian Mission materials (from the General Board of Discipleship and General Board of Global Ministries of the UMC), send for a packet.  It’s free!  The packet will contain a wall map of the world, 5 or 6 photos of mission projects, and information about the UM Children’s Fund.  On the backs of the photos are plans for mission lessons focused on those mission projects.  To get your packet, contact Mary Alice Gran (Mission Education with Children):  (toll free) 877-899-2780, Ext 7143 or email mgran@gbod.org or get your packet online at www.gbod.org/children.  The Children’s Fund is all about children helping children.
• Check out the Kid’s Corner at the GBGM site:  www.gbgm-umc.org.

Keep me posted about your VIM activities and the ways you are incorporating children ...