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Volunteering With Teens
People are generally self-centered. We want WHAT we want, WHEN we want
it. It doesn’t come natural to us to put others ahead of ourselves, but
that is exactly what God calls us to do. In many instances in the Gospels,
Jesus calls us to “love our neighbors” and to “love our enemies” - even
to the extent of doing good to those who despitefully use us! One of the
most useful things we can teach our teenagers is how to step outside of
themselves and put the needs of other people before their own. This spirit
of service to others not only benefits society, but adds to the self-worth
of the individual. As your teens give of themselves to others they generate
self-worth, respect for their neighbors and their communities and in the
process they build morals and standards that make them better citizens
and leaders in their communities.
Service to others has always been an important part of our family. From
the time my children were quite young, they would tag along with me as
I participated in volunteer opportunities. They would help me bake some
cookies or a meal for a sick neighbor and deliver them. We would go to
the nursing home on a regular basis to visit their great-grandma and others
who were in the home. We would participate in Christmas Caroling to shut-ins,
shovel snow for elderly neighbors, deliver meals for a local “Meals On
Wheels” program, and work in a local “soup kitchen.” They didn’t always
want to participate, but they came to understood the importance of service
to others.
As your children mature it is very important to instill the importance
of service to others deep inside them, so that it becomes a part of them.
A great way to do this is to get them involved in some sort of volunteer
work in your church or community. While you might have to be the one to
initiate it, letting them choose their volunteer activities will help them
internalize the concept of serving. There are many opportunities to choose
from. Below is a list to get them thinking of things they can do to make
a difference in their worlds.
Individual & Family
Projects
Every year at Christmas we have a “Christmas Project”. We save money in
a special jar and then decide together how to spend it and on who or what
organization to give to. Our “project” could be giving to an organization
such as the Salvation Army, participating in “Angel Tree” or “Operation
Christmas Child”, or it could focus on the needs of a family in our community
who needed assistance. Since my kids have become teens, we’ve decided that
in addition to our family project, each of us would have our “own” special
Christmas project that would focus on service to others. On Christmas Eve
we share with each other what we’ve done and how it helped others as well
as affected us personally. This project does not have to be financial assistance,
but needs to be a personal sacrifice and a giving of ourselves. For example,
this year my daughter wrote out Christmas cards and letters to soldiers
who do not get much mail. My son went Christmas Caroling at a Veterans
Nursing Home. Both came away with a feeling of respect for these men and
women who gave their lives in service to our country and counted it as
a privilege to be able to bring some joy into their lives.
Having a family or individual “projects” does not have to be limited to
the Christmas season. Why not have these projects twice a year or even
quarterly, taking the time to share with each other what you’ve learned
from serving others.
Volunteer Opportunities
at Church
The local church provides many opportunities to serve others and it is
relatively easy to get involved. Here are some ideas to get you started,
but be sure to add your own.
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Volunteer in the nursery.
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Become an assistant to a Sunday
School teacher.
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Help set up and clean up for
Special Events.
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Sing a solo during the worship
service or become part of the worship team.
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Become involved in group evangelism
events.
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Participate in programs your
church may provide for the community such as food banks, thrift shops,
providing meals for the sick, and visiting the elderly.
Volunteer in the
Community
Many organizations in our communities depend on volunteers to help them
provide a service to others. If you take the time to investigate, you will
find volunteer opportunities to fit every interest.
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YMCA and YWCA
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Hospitals
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Library
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Youth Center
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Meals on Wheels
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Nursing Homes
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Nursery Schools
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Peer Tutoring in Schools
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Hospice
Volunteering World-Wide
There are many opportunities to serve others that are outside of our own
communities. Volunteering outside of their communities will give teens
a sense of personal and global consequences of world happenings. Volunteering
with these organization varies from donating both money and time. Below
are some organizations that reach those in need, world-wide.
Call
a family meeting and begin brainstorming for ways that your family can
begin to serve others. And remember, teens will best learn by example.
When they see you actively involved in service to others, they are more
likely to embrace the idea themselves. If you take the time to teach your
teens to serve others, you will be teaching them one of the great fundamentals
of the Christian faith.
This article may be re-published
as long as the following resource box is included:
Patricia Chadwick is a freelance writer and has been a stay-at-home
mom for 15 years. She is currently a columnist in several online
publications as well as editor of two newsletters. Parents & Teens is a
twice monthly newsletter geared to help parents connect with their
teens. Subscribe at www.beyoncesource.com . History’s Women is
weekly online magazine highlighting the extraordinary achievements of
women. Subscribe at www.historyswomen.com/subscribe.html . |
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