Family Home Evening: "Service to Others"

by Miriam Caldwell | More from this Blogger

21 Aug 2006 12:01 PM

The next topic in the "For Strength of Youth" manual is "Service to Others." This is great topic to discuss in family home evening. You can talk about serving each other in the family, as well as serving others in the community.

Open the lesson by reading John 13:35. As a family discuss how our actions show who we truly are. Then as a family read the section "Service to Others." Discuss this with your family. You may want to list ways to serve in the home, and ways that your children may be able to serve outside of the home. It would be great to plan a family service project to complete for a family home evening. You could volunteer at a soup kitchen, or help a neighbor with yard work. You may want to supplement the lesson with "Forget Yourself and Serve" and "McKenzie's Big Idea." This is a "FYI" list on ways to serve, and a Mormonad on service. You will want to close the lesson by reading Luke 10:25-37, which is the story of the Good Samaritan.

If you are teaching primary aged children you may want to use these flannel board figures to tell the story of the Good Samaritan. You can also use "Blackberry Summer" and "Service with a Song" to supplement the stories with your lesson. With smaller children you may want to plan a service project of taking cookies to different families.

If you are teaching adults you should still follow the lesson as outlined. The article "Forget Yourself and Serve" is excellent and can be used with adults as well. You may also want to use "Selfless Service" Elder William L Bradford and "The Service That Counts" by President Thomas S Monson. You may want to contact a local organization and complete a service project as a group.

Remember to open and close with a song. In the "Children's Songbook" "Give Said the Little Stream" p236 and "A Happy Helper" p 197 are excellent songs on service. "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" p 29 and "Because I Have Been Given Much" p 219 are excellent songs in "Hymns" to sing. Don't forget to have fun and refreshments!

Learn more about Miriam Caldwell

Miriam is a SAHM mom of three children. She has a daughter who is seven, and two sons, four and two. She loves being a parent and spending time with her children.

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