CMD 2021: Socially Distant and Serving with Purpose

COVID-19 may have rocked the world in 2020, but it is still very much with us today. That being said, Children’s Missions Day 2021 will be unlike any we have ever experienced before. This year, leaders must be aware of current pandemic procedures in their state and find ways to work along these guidelines to help their children “Serve with Purpose.”

Here are a few socially-distant ideas to try with your children’s missions group this February. Mask up, and let’s get to work!

Bless our seniors. Pandemic restrictions have really taken a toll on the residents of senior care facilities nationwide. Bring joy to these special people by encouraging your children to write letters to let our seniors know they are loved and not forgotten. Ask children to share their own testimonies or what they have come to know and love about God during this challenging time. Coordinate with the staff at your local care facility and deliver the letters from your group for residents to enjoy. Inquire about visiting residents through windows or on the phone, and coordinate with your children and their parents to make those visits happen.
Feed the hungry. COVID-19 has done so much more than just affect our health; it has also triggered widespread economic calamity and joblessness. Now, more than ever, folks are looking for help. Plan ahead of time with the leadership at your church to create a food bank for those in need. Encourage your children to start collecting food to contribute as they are able. Choose a date and time for community access to your food bank, and recruit members of your church to help children pass out boxes or bags prepared ahead of time. Make sure children are wearing appropriate safety gear and are keeping their distance from open car windows. Ask children to make signs that bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ and display these signs along the food line. Take note that many of your own children may be coming from a situation of food insecurity themselves. Be sure to offer food bank access and pickup times to the families of these children as well.
Put the message on the mask. Once rarely worn except in the operating rooms of our hospitals, face masks have now become a part of daily life. Encourage your children to write messages of hope and encouragement on disposable masks they plan to wear. Have them include phrases like God loves you! and Jesus is the way! with brightly-colored crayons or colored pencils. (Avoid the use of markers and permanent markers due to fumes.) Prepare children to answer questions about their unique mask decorations. Ask them to prepare one story of how they have seen God at work in this past year, and encourage them to pray with and for the people they meet. This may seem like a simple project, but it has the potential to make an enormous impact on your community!

We are called to “Serve with Purpose.” Be safe and be creative as you and your children share the love of Jesus with your community!

by Zachariah Seanor