Summer is a great time to get your children involved in serving others. For us, the summer is a lot less busy, so we're available to say "yes" to more opportunities to serve our friends, church, and community. During the school year, our girls volunteer in our Awana program, leading singing and also helping Dad (the Awana Commander). Kelsi just began filling in occasionally for the 2's and 3's Sunday School teacher when she isn't available. Both girls have voluntarily participated in a worship dance team at another church. We enjoy taking meals to other families or for funerals from time to time. The girls will be teaching some Vacation Bible School and 5-Day Club Bible lessons this summer as well. They spent a good chunk of Saturday volunteering to wash a ton of cars from people who were helping to sponsor them at Christian Youth In Action leadership camp this summer. Have you discovered that volunteering and serving is so fabulous? It is, especially when you pray and seek God's will for your time and acts of service. Remember that too busy of a schedule will take away the joy of serving others. Why? Serving develops confidence, poise, manners, patience, and more! Serving others takes our focus off of ourselves and places it where it belongs, on other people. Serving others with a heart focused on God and other people helps our children develop a thriving faith in God. At first, they may serve others because it brings them some satisfaction - and maybe even some glory (from man). Over time, serving others will help them learn to be selfless as they mature into adulthood. And we all know that a parent who is less focused on self and more focused on serving his or her family will find life far less frustrating and disappointing since life isn't "all about me."
Guess what? I'm teaming up with Adventures in Odyssey and Tyndale House Publishers to join in with their new Summer of Service A.C.T.S. program! Join Adventures in Odyssey this summer to discover how fun it can be to serve others! This summer, Adventures in Odyssey is joining with Christian bookstores across the country, inviting kids to participate in a Summer of Service. They’re promoting the biblical message, “When you serve, everybody wins,” encouraging kids to serve their families, their communities, and their world. Whether it’s baking cookies for an elderly neighbor or putting together a care package for missionaries overseas, kids will discover that serving can be a blast!  Here's how the A.C.T.S. (A Call to Service) challenge and contest works: Kids who join A.C.T.S. can pick up a service log and collect fun character stickers for hours served at participating bookstores throughout the summer, or download a serving log online at whitsend.org. At the end of the summer, kids can record and upload a short video telling how they serve and why they’d like to become an Adventures in Odyssey Ambassador. 100 winners will get the brand new Adventures In Odyssey album:  This blog post contains affiliate links. And after online voting, two grand prize winners (one boy and one girl) will get to travel on an exciting Good-Goers Mission Based Adventure trip to another country with a parent! The out-of-country destination will be announced on a live podcast May 22—hosted by AIO actors Katie Leigh (Connie) and Chris Anthony (Chris)—which you can watch at whitsend.org/acts. You don’t want to miss it! Fun for your children:
 In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Joy In Our Journey. I humbly thank you for your support. Tyndale House Publishers sent me one new copy of Adventures in Odyssey - Our Favorites - Actors' Picks, in exchange for my promotion of their summer program, Summer to Serve. No other compensation was received.
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