Why serving as a family matters with Chris and Jan Woodruff

Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo

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

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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

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