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 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Family Background 03:02 The Importance of Service and Generosity 05:57 Building a Family Culture of Service 08:52 Transitioning from Volunteers to Staff 11:49 The Impact of Serving on Children 15:12 Finding Individual Strengths in Service 18:00 Creating Community Through Service 20:12 The Joy of Serving Together 22:25 Empathy and Growth Through Service 24:36 Building Community and Communication Skills 26:46 The Impact of Small Acts of Kindness 28:04 Finding Your Family's Serving Style 30:39 Navigating Overwhelm in Family Service 33:45 Encouragement for Busy Families 37:04 Getting Involved with Lighthouse Connect with Pardon The Mess: Christian Parenting Pardon The Mess Courtney DeFeo Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith Resources from today’s show: Lighthouse Family Retreat Light ‘Em Up - 100 simple ideas and random acts of kindness In This House, We Will Giggle - Courtney’s book Under shorts for women - you’re welcome Christian Parenting store Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org Our Sponsors: * Check out Everyday Dose and use my code MESS for a great deal: https://everydaydose.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy