Browsing Tag

Mama’s K.I.S.S.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #86: Secret Sisters/Brothers with the Elderly

Posted on April 17, 2026

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 86 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

This one’s great to do anytime of year, but summertime is prime when the kids are out of school.

Pass out a questionnaire to your elderly members. Ask them about their favorites: home items, snacks, scents, office supplies, shopping venues, colors and hobbies Make sure you ask about birthday and anniversary dates.

Then distribute the completed questionnaires to your young people. (Teens love to do this!) Young people need structure, so assign specifically here. Make sure the young partner is anonymously remembering his/her older “partner” with a card or small gift at least every two weeks. You will need to take five minutes of class time or family Bible time each week to be sure this is getting done. (It’s somewhat easier if you are doing this with your own children, of course, but the “peripheral” kids in the youth group may be the most blessed in the gifting.) Our kids live in a world of largely irresponsible youth, so you will need to help and bolster, at least at first. Sometimes each child will need to take more than one adult. Sometimes each adult will have multiple young people who are “gifting” them. Surpluses on both sides are fine; even great. This is one secret gifting program, though, that is not reciprocal. Those who receive the little gifts are exclusively the elderly.

At the end of the gifting period–perhaps after about three months, plan a meal for the kids to reveal their identities to the elderly partners. This time the gift will be signed and opened in front of the young gift-giver. This day is the most fun of all. There’s lots of encouragement to go around on both sides and, just like that, the congregation becomes less age-segregated and closer.

I’m saying today….do this one! Empathy for the age-related challenges that elderly people face is largely missing in the teens of our world.  Christianity calls our teens to be holy/set apart in the way they view elderly people, particularly their brothers and sisters in Christ.

You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord (Lev.19:32).

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5)

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #84– Suitcase Mission Mix

Posted on March 26, 2026

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 82 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

I love this one so much because I have been the recipient of it. Our wonderful and now deceased sister, Hosie Lawson, was the one I thought of so often in the very hot hills of Jamaica, when there was no place to stop and buy food, except sometimes a dirty little roadside stall where the vendor was behind bars and handed you the requested can of chicken or pack of crackers through a little hole in those bars. But at home, there was Hosie.

…sweet Mrs. Hosie!

Hosie had bought generous portions of nuts and dried fruit and tiny pretzels and candies (lots of M&Ms). She had purchased small zippy bags . She had mixed all of her sweets and salties in a large bowl or tub and made each of us travelers a good quantity of bags of trail mix for our suitcases.  She delivered them to us on the Wednesday night before we left for the work in another country. Let me tell you…these bags literally saved us…in Jamaica, or Ukraine, or Columbia. They were the sustenance on many a day!

And your kids will love this process, from purchasing to delivering to your missionaries. SO many bonuses are involved. When your kids hear the mission report later on, they will be invested. They will know they had a part. When the missionaries get back home, your kids will engage in conversation about where and how the trail mix saved the day. Your kids will draw closer to faithful servants. They can do it in groups and enjoy fellowship together. This one is so simple, you will want to do it again and again.

It’s an easy seed to plant the servant heart you’re cultivating.

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #82–Kids and Calling Cards

Posted on March 4, 2026

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 82 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

This one’s simple and obvious, too. But this idea’s merit came to me very practically the other day when my eleven-year-old grandson asked me if he could have a few of my little calling cards.

I carry both invitation cards for personal Bible study and cards that invite people to worship, in my bag. These are useful when I get into conversations about all sorts of topics with people that I randomly meet up with–walking in the neighborhood, standing at  a Walmart kiosk,  or waiting in a doctor’s office. “Here’s a card. I love to study the Bible, if you ever want to do that.”…or “This is where we

worship. We’d love to have you visit, but find me, if you come!” I pass them out on planes (especially the flights that connect to Huntsville, because I often meet Huntsvillians on those planes and often they are new to town and may be looking for a church.

I love the way that kids are unashamed and, often, even over-the-top-excited to get to talk to people about God. I gave Ezra a stack for his wallet and he was wanting more in a couple of days. Ezra watched out the window while doing his schoolwork. He’d run out to the postal worker, the gas meter-reader, the nice man who walks by with his dog, the grocery delivery person and hand them a card from his wallet. “This is where we go to worship God. I’d love for you come and visit.”

We live in world, of course, where people, in general, have little time and respect  for  the Word of God. It could be that one soul can be taught as a result of Ezra’s work. (It has happened before as a result of a little calling card.) But, even if not, the very act of inviting is helping the soul of a young boy. And I am, as limited as I am, in HIs mighty view, still able, through a little card in the hand of a zealous eleven-year-old, giving Ezra a little taste of the mechanics of  practical evangelism.

I hope you do this one!

Here’s my current one…front and back. It’s a great conversation starter. And the QR code is for  later. It’s so easy for  people to look!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #81: Maintain a Teen Website or Social Media Page

Posted on February 16, 2026

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 81 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

This one’s being done in many places. A one-stop online place for the teens of your congregation to learn about the activities and area-wide opportunities for spiritual growth. A place where they can learn times and communicate about car-pooling, how much money to bring for pizza, deadlines for Lads to Leaders or even who is sick and could use a card.

But usually the sites are created and maintained by adults. Why? Our kids are using their tech skills in robotics and for social connections and gaming and education. Let’s put them to use in the kingdom. Let them create and maintain the teen sites for His glory. Oh yes, you do need a mature Christian who is willing to oversee and keep them on track, but what a great way to let them learn to lead and serve together.

Lots of congregations have adult web designers who are already maintaining the church sites. Usually these people would be willing to sit down with a teen or two and help them learn to create, even allowing them to use resources for images and imbedding audio, etc…that have already been purchased by the church.

And…while they do this, they are learning all sorts of peripheral things that are useful in being in and not of the world. Who gets to see this page? How do we protect privacy of families and still inform? How do the images reflect godliness and modesty? Do we want to advertise this event or is there a speaker who is not teaching Biblical truth at this event?

I’m all in about this one!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #80: Enroll in Evangelism

Posted on November 6, 2025

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 80 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

I know bunches of these little service posts for kids have been centered on evangelism. But this time I want to give you some programs that are so worthy of your kids’ participation to train them for the very most important job we do here for eternity.

First of all, there are so many arms of The House to House School of  Evangelism in which kids can be involved. Specifically, my kids are super involved in the Mission One meetings that our congregation does on a monthly basis. This team of soul-minded people meet together for a meal and a meeting each month and have a power planning session about next steps for every person who is a prospective Christian. Sometimes these folks are not ready for an actual study and our members brainstorm about ways we can get to know them or make them feel like we love them… and we do! So at each meeting the kids (and their mama) get a little assignment that they take very seriously. It may be to take food and visit a person who is in rehab or to go and visit and help a neighbor who  has lost a loved one or to invite a friend to an event and offer childcare. Each month, the kids are aware and praying for the “next step”. Another group meets early on Sunday nights to send cards to anyone in our community who has had a big life event in the family: a birth, a death in the family, a move, an illness, an accident or injury. Kids are often present in these signing meetings, as well. This is a perpetually revolving list, as you can imagine and our members are responsible for turning in these card recipients with addresses… those they know about who have had these life changes. From this “compassion card” list often, but not always, comes a list of people to add to the Mission One meeting discussions. This is a program of evangelism in which your kids can participate but, as you can easily see, both of these activities can happen right from your home, even without the presence of a church program. You can read about the official program here:https://evangelism.housetohouse.com/

Next, there’s World Bible School. Your teen kids can grade correspondence courses from around the world and even converse with those students as they progress toward the saving blood. Technology has made this easier and better than ever before. Even your small kids can stuff the envelopes and help copy the addresses. for the ones that are going through the postal service. And this list of people waiting for a study partner grows all the time. Home

Last, for today, if you have teens I’d recommend finding and enrolling in a Fishers of Men” class. It’s a twelve week course that’s so very good for “getting your feet wet” for eventual deep-water fishing for men. It’s here: Home

I know you can’t do all of these, but be sure to do something to  get those little feet ready to be “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15)! Life is short!

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #79: Tag-Along Toddlers

Posted on October 2, 2025

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 77 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

This one’s a win for everyone involved. Take your older kids to visit a widow or widower. But first, let your older child call a young mom in the congregation and see if her two or three-year old can come visiting at the designated time with you and your older. Arrange for car seat swap-off and installation and let the toddler proudly ring the door bell with a plate of cookies in hand. Be sure you tell your child that “we are training this little one to serve.” You will serve a very happy widow. The little one will be blessed in the training. Your older one will have fun with the toddler, while learning to teach and serve. (Toddlers are always funny.) The young mom will have a (likely) much-needed break. And you, Mom, are training your future care-giver, to love and respect the opportunities to serve that she/he will be afforded through life. Everyone involved will hope this is not an isolated incident. (Well, YOU may have a moment or two when you think, “What was I thinking?” but you will quickly get past it!)  Relationships that will serve your child well are being formed. This one is a five-star opportunity. (I can hardly believe it, but there are parents who are doing this one now, who were the toddlers in the car-seat for our family’s tag-along escapades….It’s the morning of service that affects the next generation!)