Join
Adventures in Odyssey this summer to discover how fun it can be to serve
others!
Adventures in Odyssey, the beloved audio series from
Focus on the Family, has encouraged kids toward a stronger faith for 25 years.
Whit, Connie, Eugene, and the other loveable characters from Odyssey have
shared countless adventures with kids across the world in the classic audio
dramas, books, videos, and devotionals, fulfilling the AIO promise to help kids
discover, imagine, and grow.
This summer, Adventures in Odyssey is joining with
Christian bookstores across the country, inviting kids to participate in a
Summer of Service. They’re promoting the biblical message, “When you serve,
everybody wins,” encouraging kids to serve their families, their communities,
and their world. Whether it’s baking cookies for an elderly neighbor or putting
together a care package for missionaries overseas, kids will discover that serving
can be a blast!
How the
A.C.T.S. (A Call to Service) challenge and contest works:
Kids who join A.C.T.S. can pick up a service log and
collect fun character stickers for hours served at participating bookstores
throughout the summer, or download a serving log online at whitsend.org. At the end of the summer, kids can record and
upload a short video telling how they serve and why they’d like to become an
Adventures in Odyssey Ambassador.
A hundred winners will get the brand new AIO Album, and
after online voting, two grand prize winners (one boy and one girl) will get to
travel on an exciting Good-Goers Mission Based Adventure trip to another country
with a parent! The out-of-country
destination will be announced on a live podcast May 22—hosted by AIO actors
Katie Leigh (Connie) and Chris Anthony (Chris)—which you can watch at whitsend.org/acts.
You don’t want to miss it!
Why
serve?
Our culture puts an extravagant amount of energy into
raising kids who will grow up to feel good about themselves. In schools, clubs,
homes, and even at church, adults have made a decided effort to bolster children’s
“self-esteem” –not by actually encouraging kids do something that’s worthwhile, but by simply telling them they are important and valuable.
At the turn of the century, researchers predicted that
the next generation would respond to these efforts of raising self-esteem by
being filled with optimism and civic duty. Unfortunately, recent research shows
the opposite. Kids coming of age today are more self-centered, disrespectful of
authority, and depressed than ever before.
In a very real way, then, the best path toward building
selfless, confident children is to help and encourage them toward a growing and
thriving faith in God. And that includes obedience to what God teaches—not
because it makes kids feel good, although it often does—but because they’re
following God’s instructions to love Him and serve others. That builds a faith
they can count on and carry with them into adulthood—which is the greatest gift
any parent can bestow on their child.
FREE
Downloads from Tyndale House Publishers:
Tyndale House Publishers has also generously provided a
free MP3 download of the AIO Service episode, “Business of Busyness” to remind parents and
children the importance of priorities and scheduling. As parents, we have to
follow the scripture verse, “Direct
your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave
it.” Proverbs 22:6 NLT.
We
have to set aside time for God where He can speak to us, study and meditate on scriptures,
and pray to our Heavenly Father. It’s critical to lead and encourage our family
to help and serve others like Christ has done and has called us to do.
To
download the free MP3 file, click here:
And there is also a free PDF
download of summer service ideas for kids available here:
“I received a
free copy of Adventures in Odyssey: Our Favorites Album from Tyndale
House Publishers for participating in this blog tour.”
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