A variety of volunteers and children joined together during the Central States Conference camp meeting on June 1-11 at conference headquarters in Kansas City, Kansas, to focus on the topic of jam jars.
What’s in your jam jar? How are you using your jam jar? What is your jam jar?
When this last question, “What is your jam jar?” was asked, a little boy replied sadly saying, “I don’t have a jam jar.” A little girl replied, “My Mom has a jam jar with grape jam in it!”
I reassured them that we all have a jam jar. Our body is our jam jar! It includes our heart, soul and mind.
Yes, we all have a jam jar and we all have jam inside. The jam is the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts God has given us. Our challenge is realizing what we need more of, how we get what we need, and how we use it effectively.
Most important of all is understanding that God made us, we are His jam jar, and He loves us even when the wrong ingredients are inside that jar. He desires to help us possess His fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23) to do great things for His kingdom. When we are running low on jam—His spirit—or are empty, the enemy will come in and make us feel like failures. He will cause us to feel unloved and strive to use us for his kingdom.
In our last session, participants realized that the fruit of the Spirit is a daily necessary ingredient. We focused on questions such as, Is the fruit of the spirit in your jam jar? Do you need more of a particular fruit? Which one? How do you get those special ingredients? How do you manifest the fruit of the Spirit at home, school, church or your community?
Attendees were able to use their new understanding of their body being Christ’s jam jar—the lens of love through which Christ looks at us—and participate in activities to make real life connections.
All hands were on board as we engaged in fruit of the Spirit sensory bottle making, jam jar booklets, fruit of the Spirit word search and self reflective art activities.
Teondra (Tina) Lyles, who oversaw Children’s’ Ministries for CSC camp meeting, is a member of the Berean Church in St. Louis. To learn more about accessing her ministry program called Happy Choices visit www.happychoices.weebly.com or call 314.517.1938.
