Good morning, Friends!
This week we had some super fun guests: one of our FBCP kids and one of our Family Ministry volunteers! (Bonus: They are related!) Join us as we talk about what compassion is and why it matters so much as we follow Jesus today.
After you watch the video, you and your family members can use the following discussion prompts and activities to apply the lesson.
Talk It Out
Recap: How did Jesus show compassion?
Check In With Yourself: How does it feel to think about being Jesus' agent for compassion?
Wonder: What are you wondering right now as you think about the story of the woman who needed Jesus to heal her?
Apply It
Reading about Jesus will always help us learn more about compassion, so make time for family reading and discussion about what Jesus does to feel the suffering of others and respond to it. Help ask questions like what does Jesus do? What does Jesus not do when He encounters someone who is suffering? What are you wondering about this story?
Here are some ideas adapted from Positive Psychology about how to help cultivate compassion with kids:
Talk to your kids about suffering. Though it may prove to be a difficult conversation, helping children notice the suffering of others is a first step in cultivating the action needed to alleviate that suffering.
Ask children who they would want to help in the world. They’re likely noticing more suffering than you might realize. Then help them brainstorm ways they could help where possible!
Read books with compassion themes.There are many books for children with kindness and compassion as central themes. The more the topic is discussed, the greater the opportunities to practice in real life.
Read about helpers. Help your child understand the helpers in their world and how their work in compassionate endeavors are valued.
Teach them self-compassion. We learn too quickly to be hard on ourselves about failure. While we all want kids to succeed, notice when your children are suffering from that failure instead. Help them to know that it is okay to fail, especially if we can learn from it.
Model, Model, Model. Show your children what it means to have compassion toward others and toward yourself. Be sure your interactions with children are led with compassion.
Help them learn self-awareness. Teaching kids to be aware that their actions affect others is vital in understanding empathic action behavior.
We are praying for you! Please remember to email/call/text with any prayer requests you have.
Much love,
Pastors Lindsay and Mary