Our Need for Belonging

It is that time of year again when we have the best intentions to remain calm, to get caught up on rest, spend quality time with loved ones, and reflect on all that we have been given! Those blessings include food, shelter, warmth, safety, freedom, love, and a sense of belonging. 

In a perfect world, every child in every home would have those blessings and would be able to grow up to be their best self. Unfortunately, many children do not experience those blessings. Even if some children have them, the stress of the holiday season might cause unwanted chaos at home.  

What can we do to make our ministry a place where children can feel safe? Loved? Rested? A place where they can feel that they belong?  

To start, we have the ability to provide a welcoming environment for them. Take some time to walk into your ministry space with the eyes of a child that might not have some of their basic needs met.  

Do you see comfortable chairs, warm blankets, and soft pillows? Something as simple as a rocking chair can make such a difference! Many children with attention difficulties or autism love to sit in rocking chairs.

Bowls of apples, oranges, and bananas not only add great color to the room, but can also fill hungry bellies for those who have skipped a meal.

Messages of truth and hope on the walls communicate that they are in a safe place and can help ease some of the worries children may have. We know the holidays can be extremely difficult for those who have lost loved ones.  A simple reminder that they have a church family that cares deeply for them can go a long way in pointing them to the One who is in control and has a plan for their good.  

One easy way to show children they are seen and valued is to connect their names together with their group on a wall or bulletin board. You can explain to them that, just like the letters of their names are connected, they are also connected together by Someone who is truly amazing, powerful, and loves them perfectly just the way they are! 

Messages of Belonging

You are CHOSEN. 1 Peter 2:9

You are KNOWN. Jeremiah 1:5

You are LOVED. John 3:16

Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:39

The Lord is near to all who call on Him. Psalm 145:18

I know the plans I have for you…to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 

I am preparing a place for you, that where I am you may be also. John 14:3

Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His! Psalm 100:3 

We are children of God. 1 John 3:1