Family Devotion Ideas for Ministering to Little Ones

Ministering to little ones is so rewarding and it doesn’t take much to get them excited about the things of God.

My husband has been leading our family in some fun Bible studies that he found in the Family Night Tool Chest series from Focus on the Family.  I got smart and grabbed my camera the other night so I could share one with you all!

The activity that goes with this study could actually be used to discuss two different themes.

Jamie started out the lesson by sprinkling the contents of all our baby powder containers, as well as my new container of cornstarch, evenly over a square of sidewalk.

Then he instructed everyone to get to the other side of the powder without tracking any powder onto the clean part of the sidewalk.  The grass on both sides was off limits.

After a very long time of contemplation, the kids decided there was no tricky way around this—so they tentatively began stepping out onto the powder.

Results—nope, not possible.

Everyone thought it was funny to see Daddy try too!

They decided to try running through it really fast to see if that would keep the powder from sticking—but no, there was no way around it.

Jamie used the activity to illustrate how there is only one way to God—through Jesus.  Just like the only way the kids could get to the other side of the powder was to walk through it, there is only one way for us to reach Father God—through Jesus Christ. 

He read Exodus 3:1-6 and talked about the definition of holy.  He likened the powder to sin and the clean square to holy ground.  We couldn’t be allowed near God with our dirty sin if it weren’t for Jesus’ sacrifice for us!

As Jamie was giving the lesson, I kept thinking about how we’d tracked that powder all over the place. Even though the kids all wiped their feet off on a wet towel before coming inside, I could still see white footprints here and there.  Kynthia even had it on her face!  It made me think about our good and bad moods and how contagious they are.

After Jamie was done with the lesson, I told the kids to imagine that powder was a bad attitude and that clean sidewalk was everyone we come into contact with in one day.  I told them how our bad attitude can spread and cause others to catch it like a sickness.  I explained the importance of keeping our attitudes in check and being careful to spread cheerfulness and kindness instead of grumpiness!

The Family Night Tool Chest series is full of great ideas like these for getting your family together to learn about and celebrate the Lord.  

I’d love to hear about your fun ideas for ministering to little ones!