Not To Be Served, But To Serve

Continued from Part 1…

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Rather than only take students on trips during summers or spring breaks, I looked for a consistent service project that could become part of our rhythm and calendar. What elements did I look for?

I wanted an opportunity that would get them to learn how to serve in the midst of their lives at home, with all of the distractions and commitments. (Missions trips in a sense are “easier,” because our effort is 100% focused on the project. Service at home has to be juggled with homework, family, friends, activities).
I wanted this effort to be a little “uncomfortable,” so they would be forced to stretch and not just operate out of familiarity.
I wanted a ministry where they would have to receive as well as serve. (Remember, I wanted them to develop compassion, not pity. Compassion grows more out of relationship and connection.)
I wanted to help them develop leadership skills. (Heck, service should cause them to consider missions & ministry in their futures, right?!)
I wanted this service to happen consistently enough that they would develop a habit of participation — again integrating it into their lives at home.

Pretty tall order, huh? You’re right!

But after some stops and starts in a couple of ministry contexts, several phone calls and visits, we discovered a beautiful ministry that we have been able to pursue for at least ten years: as a youth group, we put on monthly chapel services at the local Rescue Mission. Both our jr high and high school groups do this.

In a nutshell, we do the following once a month:

We commit to a monthly night where we will provide the chapel service to the homeless clients. (Currently, this is the 2nd Monday night of each month).
The two adult leaders in charge of this ministry (I recruited others to run this ministry two years ago) ask the youth groups for volunteers to serve in every aspect of the service: speaking, reading scripture, and leading singing (musicians and vocalists).
These adult leaders also ask a small group Bible study to take on the responsibility of serving dinner before chapel. These 4-6 students show up about 45 minutes earlier than the rest of the group, and work in the kitchen with the Rescue Mission staff.
In the last year, the Rescue Mission has asked us to come half an hour earlier and provide a “Ministry of Presence” with the homeless clients. In other words, we hang out in the front courtyard in front of the chapel, and strike up conversations with the folks staying at the mission that night. This has increased involvement in the chapel service, and even better, has equipped our students in learning how to talk one-on-one with people in these situations. Talk about developing a heart of compassion!
At the end of every service, the homeless clap for us, and individuals come up and thank us warmly for coming. They will also go up to the students who spoke or led singing or served a meal, and tell them why they liked what they did – let’s just say that this really pumps up those students! Like I said, we get to receive from these dear people as well. It’s so cool.

As a result of this monthly ministry, we’ve ended up doing other things too – collecting blankets for the winter, raising funds for new Bibles for the chapel, calling on our whole church to give donations of various items that the Rescue Mission can then hand out (toothpaste & toothbrushes, socks, hats, sweatshirts, etc.). We even had a group of students organize by themselves, pool funds, and make peanut butter sandwiches to hand out to the homeless along our main street in town, striking up conversation with them as they did so! They started doing this out of their experience at the monthly chapel services.

Isn’t our desire to teach our youth to be like Jesus? Of course the answer is yes, and this is what he said about himself:

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

May you have the resources, time and support to make this happen consistently. Feel free to write comments and questions – let’s start a conversation!

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kelly-soifer Kelly Soifer is a veteran youth pastor with more than 25 years experience in Young Life and in the church. She is a consultant with Youth Ministry Architects, a committed bicycle commuter and proud Italian scooter owner who lives in Santa Barbara, CA.

Get a copy of When Kids Hurt: Help for Adults Navigating the Adolescent Maze, Kelly has an essay in there! You can check it out by clicking the link and searching inside the book for her name!

Kelly’s Consulting: Youth Ministry Architects
Kelly’s Blog: Listening To My Life
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Tagged as: missions, selecting service, service, youth missions