Teach your child to make a difference.

Serving: Age 10

What is The Serving Step? 

Age 10 is a great time to help your child discover their unique gifts and then explore how they might use them for ministry or missions, which is why we’ve created the serving step on the Faith Path. As the primary faith trainer of your child, you can set a goal this year as a family to bless others together through the spiritual discipline of service.

Put It Into Practice

Begin by explaining that God has blessed and entrusted each of us with resources, gifts, time, and talents. With these, we have the opportunity to worship and honor Him through the spiritual discipline of service. Having been first loved and served by Jesus (1 John 4:19; Mark 10:45), we can joyfully and generously steward these blessings to serve others and bring Him glory (Matthew 5:16).

Additionally, as parents, we have the privilege of helping our child discover their unique gifts, and then explore how they might use them for ministry or missions with the added blessing of finding ways to experience serving together. Your child will appreciate learning how God has wired them, and then seeing how they can bless others through serving.

ways to worship

Next Steps

Here are some simple suggestions for serving as a family: 

Shared Passion: Spend time talking with your child about the things that interest and concern him or her. It will be more meaningful if you share a passion for the specific area of service. You can also look at Ironbridge’s list of ministry partners to see how you and your family can serve others.

Good Fit: Help your child find good serving options. It can be as simple as baking cookies for a homebound neighbor, or it can be an extended serving time such as a mission trip, or meeting a particular need on a regular basis.

Set Expectations: Put your child more at ease by explaining what to expect. For example, if you plan to visit a nursing home, he or she may encounter odd sights, sounds, and smells.

Build Your Relationships: Take note of what your child does well while serving. Intentionally encourage him or her by saying you are proud of how they demonstrated a great attitude or area of strength.

Be Safe: Keep a close eye on one another, especially children/teens if serving in unfamiliar settings.

Talk About It: Ask questions when you finish serving together such as…
What were you most encouraged by while serving today?
What kind of difference did you/we make?
What is one way that you saw the Lord at work?
How did it impact those you served?
How did it impact you/your family?
What is one thing you will walk away with from today?

Pray: Take a few minutes to pray, asking God to bless those you served.

Additional Resources

77 Ways Your Family Can Make a Difference by Penny A. Zeller
Focus on the Family resource: “Take This Spiritual Gifts Test With Your Family”
The Mission-Minded Family: Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny by Ann Dunagan
Becoming a Servant Bible Study by Not Consumed Ministry
For families wanting to put on their own neighborhood event, see our Backyard Bible Club leader’s guide on our Love Your Neighbor page.