But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Matthew 23:11

Raising great kids takes a lot of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energy.  However, if we use our energy pouring out too many good works on our children, the result will usually be a child-centered home.  This is the type of environment that produces self-centered children who experience conflicts when they try to function outside the home when life no longer revolves around them or their desires.  The energy that it takes for parents to dig their children out from under the weight of self-indulgence can be daunting.  A truly nurturing home is a place that provides training in how to succeed in a world that does not revolve around any one person. 

The true purpose of doing good works is not to wipe out poverty or hunger or to win that campaign (whatever leader is in office we are instructed to honor and pray for), but to let our good works (for Jesus) so shine before men that we glorify our Father who is in Heaven.  Our true purpose is to serve Him in all we do.  But we have to teach our children how to go lower to find the higher.  We begin by asking the Lord for His leading.  And service projects such as charitable deeds and Scriptural good works are the very best ways to develop and nurture wise friendships for our children.

If the thought of serving the poor or the hungry or the lonely or the handicapped or the mentally-ill seems intimidating, or even frightening, then it is in allowing the Lord to reveal the causes for those fears, one at a time and fear by fear, that He is able to deliver us from them.  This is another powerful way that we are changed as we give of ourselves. From Children of Character

Children whose moms are in the Moms’ Group are incredibly active in worthwhile Christian service.  Bill and I encourage families to help their children develop wise friendships two-by-two (not in groups), and to build those friendships around Scriptural good works and charitable deeds.  We encourage you to prayerfully consider asking other families, whose children have the same type of character you are seeking to build in your children, to serve with your family in an area of Christian ministry throughout the year. 

“Ministry” means any time our children must think of giving to others instead of simply receiving something more for themselves, even if the something more is something good like more knowledge or experience, etc. 

In the Local Ministries section, you’ll find ministries your family can jump into in the Gainesville, Florida area. 

Note to moms with younger children:  These ministry pages are primarily for families with older children and teens.  When I was a younger mom with only babies, toddlers and young children at home, it was not a time of outside-the-home service for our family.  It was a season of training and nurturing within the home.  Many times Bill and I said “No” to good Christian activities because they put too much strain on us with so many little ones.  We even stopped teaching Sunday School, and stopped going into church on Sunday nights because it took so much physical energy to get that many little ones out the door again.  For us, this was the right thing to do, and the Lord blessed us in those years, and helped me to work out many parenting issues I was grappling with.  Then, over the years as our children grew in age and maturity, we slowly began to expand their serving outside the home.  Even now, with 4 teenagers in the house, our 12 year-old will be allowed to serve in a campaign office alone for the very first time this year, while our 8 year-old, who is not yet as self-governing as we would like him to be, will stay home with me.   So, if you are a younger mom with little ones, please know that I strongly encourage you to ignore these pages for families with older children and teens, and to stay home with your young ones and keep doing all the daily routines that help to establish order and training. 

Also, if your older children are working on character issues such as obedience, good manners, or learning to be self-governing, then it is the season to keep faithfully training them in the home, and without any guilt or concern you should pass by these wonderful and fun opportunities.  Someday, I may list how many wonderful service projects and opportunities several of our older children did not participate in because they were not yet self-governing or obedient enough to earn the right to enjoy them, or to serve – but Band, nursing home ministry, library volunteer and political volunteering are ones that immediately come to mind that one child or another had to bypass until we worked on more pressing character issues within the home.    

[Home] [Local Ministries] [Civic Serving] [Nursing Home]

Send mail to webmaster@thefreemans.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials hosted on this website are copyright © 1997-2007 Bill and Mardy Freeman.  All rights reserved. 
Last modified: August 27, 2008