Children in Mission and Stewardship
Stewardship is not just for adults. Even children have wonderful gifts to give. It is extremely important that our children learn and begin to understand that they are greatly blessed by God and that God, in turn, asks them to share their blessings.
It develops an attitude of gratitude
Unfortunately in today’s world, our children are bombarded with materialistic messages that often lead to a sense of entitlement and frustration and dissatisfaction with life. Stewardship encourages an attitude of gratitude. Stewardship teaches children the difference between needs and wants. Stewardship can help kids find peace and joy in a crazy world.
Experts tell us that children usually form their attitudes about sharing sometime between the ages of 6 and 10. They will either develop an entitlement attitude- “the world owes me” “I don’t have enough” Or a stewardship attitude- “I have been blessed.” “I am happy to share”.
It counters the messages of advertising
The advertisements that our children hear in the commercial world often carry the underlying, subtle message that you are not good enough the way you are and therefore you need to acquire this product or that product to make you acceptable. In church kids need to hear a different message. They need to hear that God has already blessed them with all the gifts and talents that they will need. In fact, God has given them an abundance of good things and they have enough to share.
It establishes a lifestyle of giving
HPUMC and Children’s Ministry wants our children to learn that stewardship is not a service project. Stewardship is a way of life! It is the way a good Christian lives every day of every year!
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