Ministering to Babies

Ministry to Babies and Toddlers You can support infants and toddlers' spiritual growth using these tips.

• Read to little ones about God and Jesus. Simple Bibles for toddlers such as board books about God's creation, animals, and family are great choices.
• Talk often about God and Jesus.
• Tell children constantly that Jesus loves them.
• Use teachable moments to highlight spiritual truths.
• As children learn to talk, help instill words of our faith such as God, Jesus, Bible, and pray in their vocabulary.
• Include infants and toddlers in spiritual activities such as worship and prayer.
• Know that infants and toddlers really do learn at church.
• Invite little ones to special worship occasions such as Christmas Eve.
• Encourage parents to have their youngest children present during prayer times at home.
• Pray with infants and toddlers. Explain that prayer is talking to God.
• Make prayer a part of the routine in your classroom.
• Remember that children discover God from infancy. Paul wrote to Timothy "from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures" (2 Timothy 3:15).


* From childrensministry.com

Make a Difference for Jesus

Saturday, October 23rd is the national Make a Difference Day! Jesus wants us to make a difference for Him EVERYDAY! Here's some suggestions for treating others to a bit of God's love:

• Fill a box with clothing or toys. Find an organization to give the box to (one that gives them to children would be great). Operation Christmas Child is a great one!
• Collect aluminum cans. When you cash them in at a recycling center, give the money to a project like the Angel Tree (who gives toys to children with a parent in prison)
• Collect used books to donate to a woman's/children's shelter.
• Collect canned food to give to a community food pantry.
• Collect new gloves, hats, socks, or blankets to take to a homeless shelter. 
• Gather up some friends and go to an elderly person's house to complete chores, such as raking leaves. 
• Make holiday cards (don't sign them) and take them to assisted living residents for them to mail to their family and friends. Take some stamps too!

* by Lucinda Rollings from Live Wire