Next Generation Ministry Blog

What do you think about when you hear the word “overflow”? Maybe you’re remembering that time you tossed a Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke just to see what would happen. Or maybe you’re picturing the way your room looked when you forgot to clean it...for the third month in a row. Or maybe when you hear “overflow,” you think about the way you felt when you convinced yourself eating fifty chicken nuggets was a good idea. Whatever images come to mind for you, overflow is what this series is about. It’s about letting things in our lives—the right kinds of things—overflow. It’s about experiencing something, or having something, and then sharing it with someone else. Because when we let the right things in our lives overflow, it can end up having a big effect on the world around us.

We all know we should want our kids to volunteer somewhere, right? It looks great on college applications. It helps the community. Volunteering is never a bad thing. The problem is, time to volunteer or serve somewhere competes with the time required to do a lot of other really important things like...

• Homework

• College applications

• Sports practice 

• SAT prep 

• Family Time

• Down Time

And the list goes on and on. While we all know that serving is a good idea, it’s tempting to feel like we should skip it in favor of the activities that will benefit our kids long-term. But are we missing something?

In this Parent Cue podcast, Dr. Kara Powell, Reggie Joiner, and Kristen Ivy discuss what benefits our kids could experience by serving, and how missing out on those opportunities could impact their future. Check out the audio here: http://theparentcue.org/how-serving-changes-kids/

Try This

Even if you’re convinced your son or daughter should serve somewhere, convincing him or her may be another story. This week, try enlisting some help from someone your kid looks up to. Maybe it’s a coach, a teacher, or a small group leader at church. Ask that person to point out one talent or good quality they see in your child next time they talk and to suggest that he or she volunteer where they can use that gift. Hearing it from someone other than you is often exactly what is needed to spark a new interest in serving.