Care Packages
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
-1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NRSV)
If you've been to your mailbox today, chances are that the only things you received were bills and "junk mail". Leaving aside the obvious environmental concerns of how much paper is wasted on producing catalogs and credit card offers we don't even look at (77.3 billion(!) mailings in 2018), this is a great opportunity to make someone else's day with a special care package! Whether you want to send it to a family member, a friend, someone in the hospital, or someone serving in the military, you almost certainly can make someone's day through your love and care.
Making a care package is generally pretty simple and will probably take around an hour or two with shopping - it's a perfect way to spend an afternoon if your kids are saying that they're bored!
How You Might Go About This:
For Younger Children
For Older Children
-1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NRSV)
If you've been to your mailbox today, chances are that the only things you received were bills and "junk mail". Leaving aside the obvious environmental concerns of how much paper is wasted on producing catalogs and credit card offers we don't even look at (77.3 billion(!) mailings in 2018), this is a great opportunity to make someone else's day with a special care package! Whether you want to send it to a family member, a friend, someone in the hospital, or someone serving in the military, you almost certainly can make someone's day through your love and care.
Making a care package is generally pretty simple and will probably take around an hour or two with shopping - it's a perfect way to spend an afternoon if your kids are saying that they're bored!
How You Might Go About This:
- Figure out who you'd like to send this care package to. Your children may get ambitious and will want to send one to everyone you know at first! Encourage them to start slow and choose one person for now.
- Ask them to close their eyes and imagine things that this person might want to receive. If you spend time thinking about how that person would feel receiving these items, you should be able to come up with a pretty good list. Don't forgot a heartfelt note from you and your kids - that will mean more than almost anything!
- If you're sending the care package through an organization rather than an individual, make sure you look at any restrictions they might place on what is sent.
- Go shopping with your kids to pick up whatever supplies you might need to send this care package!
For Younger Children
- As you put this gift together, spend time imagining what the receiver might say or do. What do you think will be their favorite thing?
- The Bible says “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14) – how else can we show this person that we love them? You can use the "5 love languages" - words of affirmation, physical touch, acts of service, gift giving, and quality time - as ways to think about this.
For Older Children
- How much money does the average family spend on gifts each year during Christmas? ($800) Do you think that is money well spent? How much should go to ourselves, and how much should go to other people? Think through the ramifications of their answer with them - and perhaps follow through for next year!
- Why do you think people choose to give so many gifts? Are there other ways to show that love and care that don't involve spending a lot of money?