JESUS MINGLED
Ellen White wrote a beautiful message about how to mingle. Read it together as a family and discuss what it means
to you. Talk about the ways you are a blessing in your community. Make a poster together of this quote. Or write it in your own words: “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’ . . . Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit” (The Ministry of Healing, pp. 143, 144).
JESUS MINGLED WITH KIDS!
Jesus mingled with all kinds of people. Every person in the world is a son or daughter of God, and He wanted to show them how special they are to Him. Read the story of Jesus mingling with children in Mark 10:13-16. Imagine you are right there with Him, seeing Him, listening to Him, and feeling His hug of blessing. Act out the story with your family or friends. What do you think He would say to you, and to your parents, to bless you?
MINGLE MAP
Draw a Mingle Map of your lives. It doesn’t have to be an exact map. Just think about the places where you mingle with people who may not know how much God loves them. Perhaps at school, in your street or village, where you go to buy your food, at your sports, music, or craft clubs, etc. Draw a picture of each place on a separate sheet of paper. List the people you know there, and pray for them. Write down some things you could do to show them God’s amazing love whenever you are mingling there. Work together as a family to bless the places where you mingle. Are there other places where you could mingle too?
SALTY PEOPLE
Jesus mingled with people so that He could show them His love and bless them. Jesus also told us that we are the salt of the world (Matthew 5:13). We are salt when we mingle with people and help them “taste” God’s loving character through the way we treat them. Make a list of all the good uses of salt. Then think about how you and your family could be like salt in your communities. For example, salt melts ice and salt can make things taste better. Hunt around your home for examples of salt, and see how many things contain salt. Or make popcorn or other food that tastes better with salt. Eat some without salt, and then add salt and taste the difference! Or make a label for your saltshaker to remind everyone who uses it that they are the salt of the earth!
PRAYER WALK
Walk past your neighbors’ homes in your street or apartment block and pray silently for each household as you pass their doors. Look for clues to see whether children live there or an elderly person, and listen to the Holy Spirit inspiring you about what to pray. God knows everything your neighbors need, so pray that He will show you how to care for them and mingle with them.
MINGLER REMINDER
Bring together your best craft materials, or even just paper, old magazines, scissors, and glue. Make a poster or object for your home that reminds your family to be minglers. What about making something small that you could attach to your school backpack so that you are reminded to mingle and show love? For example, find some wire, thread all kinds of different things onto it, and shape it into a heart.
BIRTHDAY BLESSING
Look out for clues that someone in your neighborhood is having a birthday. Even if you don’t know them, you can take them a homemade treat and say you noticed it was their birthday and you wanted to celebrate with them. Read Romans 12:15. What else could you do to be happy with people who are happy?
IF JESUS MINGLED TODAY
Imagine that Jesus came to your town today. How would He mingle? Where would He go to mingle and be with people (parks, shopping areas, cafés, hospitals)? What might He do to bless people? How could you follow in His footsteps?
LIGHT PEOPLE
Jesus also told us that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16). We are lights when the way we live shows people how much God loves them. Ask an adult to help you make a safe lantern. Use a battery-operated candle in an old jar or put a thick layer of salt in the bottom of a jar and place a real candle inside it. Light the candle when there are adults in the room to make sure it is safe. Cut a piece of paper to wrap around the jar. Choose paper that the light can shine through. Write on the paper some of the ways that God shows His love to you, such as being our Forgiver, Provider, Comforter, and Blesser. Then light your lantern and talk about how you can show the light of God’s love to others around you. Ask God to help you be His sparkling light right where you are.
MINGLED PRAYER
Cut a large heart out of cardstock. Write the word “Love” in the middle of the heart. Around the edge of the heart write some different ways God loves us that we can share with others. Then punch some holes around the edge of the heart and tie tags through the holes. On each tag write the name of a person you are mingling with and some special prayer requests that you have for them. Use this as a daily prayer reminder.
AN ABC OF BLESSING
Make a long list of all the different ways you could bless people as you mingle with them. Try to find at least one activity for each letter of the alphabet: A – Appreciating them, Assisting them; B – Baking for them; C – Card making, etc.