Category: The Ministry

Q&A: Greeting Cards, Care Packages, Staff Hospitality

2 Comments

Greeting Cards, Care Packages, Staff Hospitality

Questions on this list are an interesting variety of ministry or Christian living questions and all the answers come from ministry wives from questions that we put up on the Ministry Mamas Facebook page. We used to have an “Ask ? Friday” time to ask questions but have now moved it to Q&A Tuesday for ministry women to ask questions and have other women chime in on being an encouragement or practical helps and advice. If you want to have a part in that please join us there!

Q: “Where do you buy good quality KJV (King James Version) greeting cards?”

  • Christianbook.com
  • DaySpring
  • We sell them as a fundraiser.
  • Sword of the Lord publishers.

Q: “I am organizing some things to do for our Bible College students every month to keep them encouraged as they are away from home. I need some creative and unique ideas to make the encouragement vary from month to month. What are your ideas? All suggestions welcome!”

  • Include postcards that are stamped and already addressed home to Mama. Quarters for laundry are always welcomed. Gas cards if they have a vehicle. Snacks packed in Pringles cans travel best. Microwave pop corn. Christmas music in October. 
  • Care packages,whether it be a simple pack of cookies with a note of encouragement with a verse,or something along that line. Just letting them know you are thinking of them.
  • I send the girls pretty things they may not have money for. Nail polish and accessories, pretty notepaper and pens, even goofy stuff like stickers and Legos and candy were loved!
    One year, a church lady made goofy packages for everyone…and she sewed the boys pillowcases out of funky pink fabric! Everyone laughed and teased the boys. BUT both boys used that pillowcase all four years of college and loved it!!!
  • I would echo quarters, also school supplies (pens, highlighters, notebooks, etc), even some toiletries and goodies. Whatever you send them will be appreciated, I’m sure! What a blessing!
  • As the mother of a college student, the most practical thing to give is Walmart gift cards. That way they can get exactly what they need. Just make sure there is a Walmart near the campus! 
  • You can also get ideas from our Ministry Mamas Gift Ideas for Bible College Students Pinterest Board.

Q: “Do you have any suggestions on materials to provide parents of a wayward child? Books, websites, other resources? We would like to help a family in our church but we’re not sure where to start.”

  • Stormie Omartian‘s book Praying for your Adult children is a great book.
  • Debi Pryde has a book called Parenting with Wisdom (formerly called Precept upon Precept). I have not read this book but Debi Pryde is fantastic! She is a biblical counselor whose biblical counseling course I have taken and I also have read about 6 of her other books. Her books are available on amazon and also her website www.debipryde.com. Also Kevin Lehman has a book called Adolescence Isn’t Terminal. I don’t agree with Dr. Lehman on several issues, but this book I believe is spot-on. He really addresses many topics you won’t find addressed. in many other books. What I also personally recommend to parents dealing with this is fasting and praying. I know that sounds obvious, but I have seen the effectiveness in fasting come through with helping kids or asking the Lord for wisdom and grace.
  • DVDs by Pastor S.M. Davis are great. His resources can be found at solvingfamilyproblems.org.

Note: I personally have not checked out all the suggested books or resources on this question, so please evaluate them according to your own personal convictions and preferences.

Q: “We regularly try to love on our church staff and have them over for dinner and make it a point to show love to their children on their birthdays and during the holidays. We’re finding that they do not choose to reciprocate the love in ever inviting us over to their home. They are grateful for what we do for them, it isn’t that. I am just wondering if there is anything I can do to encourage them not to worry about our expectations of their home or if I should change what we are doing since they are not giving much back. Give me your thoughts…”

Are you doing this to please people or to please God? I say to continue doing what you are doing even if they are not reciprocating, you are pleasing God and that’s what matters most. 

Hmmm…I think what struck me in this question is “they choose not to reciprocate their love in ever inviting us over.” Not everyone is a gifted hostess or feels comfortable having people in their home. Maybe they are reciprocating their love for you in a different way? It may be that they don’t have any church members over to their house for fear of appearing like they are playing favorites. Or maybe they are just very protective of the little family time they have. I know it’s hard not to take it personally…

Keep doing what God has laid on your heart and great will be your reward in Heaven, they may feel a little intimated by you I know I was when I had my pastor’s wife as my secret sister, I didn’t need to be, she is such a sweetheart and it was a wonderful year surprising her and being a blessing but most of all joining her in prayer!

Check out many of our other Q&A articles:

When God Closes a Door – What do you do?

When God Closes A Door

Have you ever been in line at a store or public event to receive a special freebie they were handing out. Only to be disappointed that by the time you arrived at the front of the line, they run out? I have and it feels like  a wave of disappointment washes over you and you are left empty-handed.

Similarly, is the feeling that may occur in your life when what is perceived to be an open door of God’s perfect will for your life is closed. You may feel disappointed and left empty-handed and down-hearted.

What do you do when God closes a door?

You keep walking and you keep waiting.

  1. You keep walking with the Lord.

Don’t turn and run away from God because the door is closed. Think of the lyrics of Trust and Obey, the familiar hymn, by John H. Sammis:

When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way. When we do His good will, He abides with us still. And with all who will trust and obey.

Keep praying and talking to the Lord about your disappointments and desires.  Listen to His still small voice’s reassurance of His presence in your life as you read your Bible, He abides with you still, just trust and obey.

2. You keep waiting on His perfect timing.

The Bible has many reassuring accounts of God’s perfect timing in the lives of His people:

  • Abraham and Sarah’s waiting for Isaac
  • Christ’s perfect timing to be born after the promise of His coming hundreds of years before His birth by the prophets
  • Mary and Martha’s waiting four days for Christ to appear after the death of Lazarus to see him resurrected

God’s timing is marked throughout the entire Bible and when it is waited on and carried out it is perfect!  Your life and walk with the Lord is not any different that the examples of faith and timing that were mentioned above. God’s design is still the same, His timing will reflect a conscious plan for your life in the same way.

Watching and waiting. Two simple words that can explain a great principle of obedience in the questionable moments of life. Read Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

 

Sermon Notes Round-Up for Kids

This week I have done a Sermon Note Round-Up for kids! Sometimes children who grow up in church can get bored with the routine sitting in church listening to long sermons scenario. Having a ready sermon note sheet for your child(ren) may help them to pay attention more to listening to the service. Many of these sheets have various activities printed on the paper besides a note-taking section. Explore the different styles and see what might work best for your child’s age and maturity.

Another idea: Make these sheets available for all the children in your church. They may help children who may be new to the concept of sitting in a regular church service as opposed to being in a regular children’s service during the worship hour, particularly those who may be guests or children who only come to church on Sunday mornings. Don’t be afraid to challenge children to better listen to and incorporate God’s Word in their lives by using a tool like this. It can help them grow spiritually and teach them to sit more attentively in the church service. I can’t promise that a sheet like this won’t be used for passing notes from time to time but I do believe that it can be a resource to direct their focus on the Lord.

Right now I am working on a set of sermon note sheets for missions conferences!! They will be available within the next week or two. I am very excited to be back involved in providing ministry and Christian parents with tools they can use for their families and in their ministries.

Sermon Notes Round-Up for Kids

Free Downloadable Sheets

Non-Readers Printable Listening Pages Mama’s Learning Corner that encourage kids to trace Bible-centered words and other activities: Regular Sunday pages, Christmas, Resurrection Sunday pages.

Amy at Raising Arrows has created Listening Pages for Readers, five different pages for regular Sundays, some different pages for holidays as well. They have a section for notes and a list of common words used in church where the kids can make tally marks when they hear it.

Monica at Living Simply for God has created My Sermon Book for her four children to use at church. She has some different types of activity pages like: Keyword Alphabet & Count, Keyword Scrabble, and Hangman.

Sermon Notes for Kids by Beth Gorden at 123 Homeschool 4 Me has four different types of printable sheets to use.

Church Focus Cards at Cornerstone Confessions are made to print on 3×5 note cards for younger elementary children. Scroll down the page to find the downloadable page.

Kim Sorgius shares the sermon sheets she uses with her children in church as well as her philosophy on why she uses note-taking pages with her children in church at Not Consumed.

Stacey at A Moment in Our World has a very simple sermon note-taking sheet available.

Do Not Depart also has a simple sheet for early elementary level note-taking with a large space to draw a picture and a place for the main idea.

Kyleigh Kite at Becoming Blameless has created four different grade-level sermon sheets for Pre-K to Kindergarten, first and second grade, and third through sixth grade, and a sheet to help make application at home through the week.

Teachers Pay Teachers Downloads

In order to download these (whether free or for purchase) you must have a Teachers Pay Teachers account. It is free and easy to sign-up.

Bible Study and Sermon Notes Bookmark (free) – this has three bookmarks per sheet that can save on paper and ink if you want a concise note-taking sheet. By: Tiffany Crawl

My Sermon Notes for both Girls (hearts) and Boys (stars) for free. By: Courtney McKurley

Sermon Notes for Kids Sheet ($1.00) for 2nd-4th graders. By: Creations by LAckert

KISS (Kids Involved in Studying Scripture) Worship Note Pages (free). 6 pages.  By: Tricks of the Trade

Sermon Notes for Purchase

Jill Connelly has created a Sermon Notes for Kids spiral book that you can find at Truth Steps Publishing. Ages 6-12, 144 pages. There is also a Teen Sermon Notes book and a Creative Sermon Notes for adults.

Integrity Graphics on Etsy has sermon notebooks for kids, both for boys and girls in a spiral notebook that is for an entire year. Cost: $14.99

Recently published is called Busy Books: Sermon Notes, created by an eighteen year old homeschooler and her mother, Madison & Darlene Schacht (The Time-Warp Wife). Cost: $9.99 There are enough pages in the book for 3 services a week throughout the entire year.

Note: This post does not contain affiliate links.

If you know of a similar resource please include the link in the comment section below!