Over the past few weeks, our 1st–5th graders have been exploring a big question in Sunday School: What does God want us to do when some people don’t have enough to eat?
We’ve explored stories of famine in the Bible, followed Ruth into the fields and learned about the practice of gleaning, and discovered the biblical celebration of Jubilee—a vision of a community where resources are shared, people are cared for, and everyone has enough.
But these aren’t just ancient ideas. Our kids have also been talking about hunger today: food waste, sharing what we have, and ways we can be part of making sure our neighbors have enough.
Here are a few ways you can continue the conversation as a family:
Pay attention to food waste.
For one week, notice how much food your family throws away. Talk together: Why did this food go to waste? What could we do differently next week? Let your kids help come up with a plan.
Put faith into action together.
Find a way to serve as a family. Volunteer at a food distribution, visit a local outreach center, or make small bags of food and supplies to keep in your car and share when you encounter someone in need.
Let your kids lead the giving.
Give your child a budget and take a trip to the grocery store together to purchase items for a food pantry. Ask them to think about what another family might need—and what foods they might enjoy!
Have an “everyone has enough” meal.
Plan a meal together using food you already have at home. Around the table, ask: What would our community look like if everyone had enough? What would need to change to make that possible?
Ask bigger questions.
Especially with older children, begin wondering together about why hunger exists. Giving food to someone who is hungry matters. But our lessons about gleaning and Jubilee remind us to ask another question, too: How can we help build a world where everyone has enough in the first place?
You don’t need to have all the answers. Wonder together, listen to what your kids have to say, and look for small ways your family can put what you believe into practice.
After all, some of the most important faith formation happens when the Sunday School conversation follows us home.
