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Involving All Ages
Preschoolers
—Joye Smith, WMU Preschool Consultant
Preschoolers can take part in Project HELPSM: Poverty in a variety of ways. Explain to preschoolers that they can help people who have needs. Look for ways preschoolers can be involved in ministries of your church or community. Think creatively to plan simple ways preschoolers can help through those ministries. Use these suggestions to spark your own ideas.
•If your church or association plans a spring "Fun Day," ask preschoolers to collect school supplies to give to children who have needs. Collect the school supplies at the "Fun Day."
•For a food pantry in your church or community, preschoolers can collect a certain nonperishable food item, such as boxes of macaroni and cheese.
•Provide materials for preschoolers to make cards to give to people who receive Meals on Wheels or to include in food bags given at a local food pantry. Print on the card, God cares for you (see 1 Peter 5:7), and encourage preschoolers to decorate the cards with stickers, markers, or crayons.
•Have a "Diaper Day" in which preschoolers bring packages of diapers to donate to a homeless shelter or a day-care center that serves families in need.
•Make banks with preschoolers to collect coins throughout one month. Decide on a local ministry to those in poverty to which to donate the money. Or donate the money to Pure Water, Pure LoveSM. Open the Bible and read to preschoolers: "God loves a cheerful giver" (see 2 Cor. 9:7) and "Do not forget to do good and to share with others" (see Heb. 13:16).
Children
—Melody Maxwell, Design Editor, Children's Resource Team
Children can learn about poverty and minister to people in need in their communities. Often this age group has a special compassion for the poor, and is looking for ways to put their faith into action. Leaders can help children minister to the poor in a variety of ways:
•Collect supplies for a food pantry, clothes closet, or other poverty-related ministry in your area. Avoid stereotypes of the poor. Help children understand the many ways that people in poverty are like them.
•Talk with children about Jesus's example of ministry to the impoverished. Let your group brainstorm ways they can help others in need.
•Ask children to create posters and other promotional material for your church's "Fun Day." Have your church's children's ministry sponsor a booth at the event. Let children plan for and work at the booth.
•Use the Project HELP ideas in the front of each quarter's Aware and Missions MatchFile to create poverty simulation experiences for children.
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