September: The Environment of Serving

We love our Home Group!  There is something about hanging with the same people over time, carrying each other's burdens, praying, listening, laughing and chasing your kids together that makes you feel a little bit like family.

Twice a month we get together with our small group.  (officially called CARE Groups at our church.)  Our group of 6 young families gathers around a potluck dinner for conversation, worship, a reading from the Word, and often a craft or activity.  Each month there is a different principle, or "environment" that we are trying to foster in the lives of our busy families. 

We use the HomeFront Magazine as our curriculum.  Have you ever checked it out? 

 It's free and full of ideas on how to create positive and life-giving environments 

in your home through quality family time.

This month we are focusing on the Environment of Serving.  

Serving asks the question, "What needs to be done?"  

Isn't that a great atmosphere to create in your family's life?

Here are some of the girls in our CARE Group thinking up "Acts of Service" to write on fall leaves...

And of course one of my boys had to include something about poop 

(...at least it was about picking up the DOG's poop).

We got to create a fall decoration that had meaning.  

Each leaf had one Act of Service written on it.

How many Acts of Service could we do this month?

And, later at home, we hung our "fall service garland" in the dining room.

And the conversation about why we serve somehow seemed to bring up that Jesus came to serve, not to be served, and HE was the Son of God! 

 So actually asking the question, "What needs to be done?" 

puts us in excellent company.