Lesson 2 Serving the Body as a Family

Serving the Body as a Family
God Gives Us Gifts to Serve Others

Read: Acts 6:1-7
Questions for Discussion:
What complaints were being made about the disciples' work?
What were some of the gifts the twelve had been given that they
were using for the kingdom?
Why were the disciples unable to meet the needs by themselves of the widows’?
What kind of men did they say to choose for the position?
How do you see our church operating the same way? or how is it different?
What gifts do you have that can be used to serve others in the body?
How does serving other people honor God?

As a family share what gifts you see in your family members. Sit down and look through a family photo album. Use the pictures to prompt stories of how people in your family have served others.

Key Thought: God gave the apostles the gift of being able to tell others about Jesus, and their ministry was succeeding. While they were preaching other tasks were not getting done in the body of believers. Other men who were gifted in the appropriate ways were given the responsibilities that the apostles were not able to take on. The same is true for the body today. Although we may all be gifted in different areas, God wants us to use the gifts that we have in appropriate ways to serve others.

Pray and ask God to give you more opportunities to serve others as a family.


Activities

Preschool: Help your child trace their hand on a sheet of paper and write one way that they can use their hands to help someone else this week. Help them to follow through with their idea.

Help your child draw a picture or write a note to a missionary. As you mail it, talk about how the missionary is using their gifts to serve the body of Christ by spreading the gospel.

Lower Elementary: Help your child to look through the newspaper or watch the news with you to find examples of people serving others. Talk about how you can use your gifts to serve others.

Help your child to think of someone in the church who works hard using their gifts to serve the body. Together, write them a thank you card, acknowledging the gifting that you see in them and thanking them for using them to serve others in the body.

Upper Elementary: Help your child collect newspaper articles and magazine pictures that show people using gifts to serve other people. On a poster board or large sheet of paper, write, “God wants you to serve others.” Help your child paste or tape the collected articles and/or pictures on the sign. Help them share their sign with others in the family and encourage everyone to find ways to use the gifts they have to serve others.

Take a walk with your child and both write down all of the ways you see people using their gifts to serve others. When you have finished your walk, compare lists.

Teens: Think over the day so far. Has anyone served you today? how does it make you feel when others are generous and quick to serve you? Think of some ways that you could serve others, or the church, this week.