Why serving as a family matters with Chris and Jan Woodruff

I am so fired up about this episode with Chris and Jan Woodruff. I believe serving together is one of the very best things you can do as a family. As I look back over 18 years as a mom, I can truthfully say that the times we have served together has deeply impacted each of us. We always see the best version of our family.Many times, the service opportunities are only available for teens and older. When we discovered Lighthouse, we found a way for our kids to serve as young as 4 years old. In this episode, we talk about the benefit of serving and putting others before yourself. My goal for today’s episode is that it unlocks the power of serving together and motivates many to find unique ways to serve as a family. My favorite part of the episode is when we talk about the benefits of serving together. We have both seen unique benefits on each of our kids. They have practiced and prioritized serving others and we can now see how it has helped develop their character and passions and gifts. Challenge today: Go on a date with your spouse or grab some girlfriends and brainstorm: “What are the top values we want to instill in our home? In our family culture? And then how can we be intentional to live out those values?”Enjoy!Courtney Chapters00:00Introduction and Family Background03:02The Importance of Service and Generosity05:57Building a Family Culture of Service08:52Transitioning from Volunteers to Staff11:49The Impact of Serving on Children15:12Finding Individual Strengths in Service18:00Creating Community Through Service20:12The Joy of Serving Together22:25Empathy and Growth Through Service24:36Building Community and Communication Skills26:46The Impact of Small Acts of Kindness28:04Finding Your Family's Serving Style30:39Navigating Overwhelm in Family Service33:45Encouragement for Busy Families37:04Getting Involved with LighthouseConnect with Pardon The Mess:Christian ParentingPardon The Mess Courtney DeFeoGet your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of FaithResources from today’s show:Lighthouse Family RetreatLight ‘Em Up - 100 simple ideas and random acts of kindnessIn This House, We Will Giggle - Courtney’s bookUnder shorts for women - you’re welcomeChristian Parenting storePardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.orgPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy