Browsing Tag

Mama’s K.I.S.S.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #89: Mentoring in Worship

Posted on June 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 89 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”.

Have your middle or high-schooler invite another child, who’s a couple of years younger than she is, to sit with her during worship. Have yours bring note-taking materials. It’s a great idea to even purchase a notebook for your child to give the younger child. Watching an older child take notes from the preacher and his Powerpoint presentation is a great way to begin a rich Sunday lifetime habit. Make sure your own child understands that her worship enthusiasm will be contagious for the younger friend. Make sure she or he is singing out and reverently praying.

It’s so easy to want to do the right thing when someone else, especially someone a little older, is doing it. This little exercise  can make a difference in a young life for a long time; perhaps even beyond time.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S.#88: School Supply Drive

Posted on June 10, 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 88 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”.

Whenever it’s back-to-school time, it’s time to get your teens organizing the drive to collect backpacks, pencils, notebooks, scissors, glue and all the things, for children in your community who may need a little help getting ready for school. Be sure your kids ask your elders to consider buying a case of the new affordable AP Study Bibles (https://store.apologeticspress.org) , so the most important thing can go in the backpacks you plan to give away. Include info about your local congregation, too, along with the info about your next event for kids or families. Maybe even include a happy  t-shirt with your church’s name, especially if your community is not a school uniform community. This is great advertisement!

Make sure the teens are the ones who are busy; putting together the supply lists, posting on bulletin boards and in the announcement  sheet. Help the teens get the word out to the community and/or identify the families that may need help each August.  Help them set up collection tables and purchase whatever is not collected. They need to be the ones who assemble the backpacks and meet the folks who show up to receive them. Be sure to advertise heavily in your community.

If you are just doing this with your own family, choose one or two families that may benefit from the backpacks, but may also be potential Christians and be sure to follow up with invitations to study the Word. In fact, follow up with every family that receives a backpack.

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Mama’s K.I.S.S. #87: Month of Elderly Sundays

Posted on May 20, 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 87 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”.

You can even have a picnic, like the Moon family’s doing with their sweet friend!

What if you tell your children this month will be “Elderly Month” as you go to worship each Sunday? You tell them that they can  invite a different elderly couple (or single) to sit with you each Sunday this month. If your kids are old enough, they can do the inviting themselves or they can choose to go sit with the chosen senior Christian. They have, each week,  in preparation, already invited this person to go to lunch with your family; in your home or at a restaurant. But whether or not this couple or person can go to lunch, you still have them sitting with you in worship.

I anticipate some saying that the elderly don’t want to move seats. If the elderly want to cling to their own seats badly enough to say “no” to children inviting, then maybe suggest to your elders some extra teaching on “stirring up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). Alternately, perhaps there’s room for your family on the pew that the senior Christians prefer. Just try to work with them to make it happen. Be sure your family is not the fellowship inhibitor, for sure! Be flexible and sacrificial–always. Try to use this opportunity to overcome conversation challenges that your children may have with folks who are older.

Follow this procedure for a month of Sundays and your family will be changed for good. That’s a promise!

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!