When our daughter was in elementary school, her girl scout leaders decided to have a “kidnap” breakfast one Saturday morning. They surprised each girl at her house, grabbed her in whatever she was wearing at the time (parents knew about it, so it was all good!) and whisked them off to breakfast and an end of year celebration.
Your family can do something similar. Think of people you know who might be lonely. They aren’t necessarily old, so don’t forget about single moms, single people in general, people new to your area and spouses of deployed military personnel.
It’s up to you if your family wants to give them advance notice or just show up at their house unannounced. (If you are doing this with younger children, at least make sure someone will be home and answer the door.) You can bring food or treats with you, or take them out for a meal or treat. The details are not as important as your family spending quality time with someone and letting them know they are loved.
You may want to expand whom your family serves over time. Maybe one time it could be busy moms (take the moms or the kids!). Perhaps it’s Bible class teachers of all of your kids (the more the merrier!) or public servants.
Have fun with it. In the process, you can teach your kids how to support and encourage others – especially those others may forget. While you are spending time together, find ways for your kids to share their faith – maybe giving the person homemade cards with encouraging Bible verses. If you are serving Christians, you may want to ask them to share a “God story” from their lives with your kids – showing your kids how to encourage other Christians when they serve them.
So make a list of people. Grab some pop-tarts and your kids and get going! It’s a great way to spend time together as a family.