Teaching Children Compassion

My oldest daughter and I just returned from our spring break week in Dallas, Texas.  We spent the week working with Global Outreach and with Cornerstone Baptist Church helping the homeless and less fortunate in the inner city of Dallas.  Our days were filled with passing out food and water to the homeless on the streets, working in the soup kitchen, passing out clothes to the elderly living in assisted living homes, remodeling apartments that will house released prisoners, and holding play times for low-income children.  We came home tired and feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the problems these people face daily.  The church has been able to minister with compassion to many people living in this area who were addicted to drugs or alcohol and living on the streets.  The church has given them the love and hope of Christ, and lives have been changed.

You can teach a child compassion through reading stories of those who have served those in need or view others in action as they serve in different ministries, but the best and most effective way is to actually get your children to physically go out with you and pass out sandwiches to the hungry, read to the elderly, clean the homes of single moms, or take meals to those who are sick. The best education is one of experience, and compassion is best taught and learned by doing.