Leadership Tools 4- Service Projects


One of my favorite scriptures in the bible is Matthew 25.  It's a scripture that is challenging to me daily because it challenges me to live in a way that's selfless, compassionate, and full of humility.  Going once a year on a Mission Trip isn't enough, Christ calls us to live daily for the least of these.  I'll be honest it's really really really hard to do that especially during the holiday season when I am running from my kids school, to a church play practice, to shopping, to other ministry activities, to family events, to connecting with friends, back to school, and then home to wrap everything I just bought.  In the midst of chaos I often find myself passing opportunities to live out this command by Christ.


"Faithful servants never retire. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God." - Rick Warren

A practice I have been doing for several years now is keeping a small care package in my car filled with soap, toothbrush, power bar, water, mouthwash, and a few other key essentials.  When I see someone in need I stop and give them the package, but I really should do more.  I need to be intentional about serving the least, being presence with those who are hurting, and sharing the blessings God has bestowed upon me.

Over the last couple of years I started my own rythmn of serving.  I would intentionally schedule some kind of service project with my family.  Not only was I being intentional about serving others, but it also made me more cognizant of the daily opportunities that God had placed before me.  Every year as a church we go on a mission trip and every year the youth go on a mission trip.  After doing this practice for a few years with my family I realized how prepped my heart was for the trip I was about to embark on because of all the service I had done through the year.  Following the mission experience I was always on fire for the Lord and was ready for the next experience.  My leaders and my youth on the other hand were prepped logistically but not in the heart and mind.  During and immediately following the trip they were on fire for the Lord and wanted to serve more but had no place to plug in.  So I began taking my family practice and turning it into a ministry practice.


"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."- Helen Keller

Once a month I create a service opportunity that takes about 2-4 hours in my local area.  We usually do it the 3rd weekend of the month so my students and leaders get into a rythmn of setting aside that time.  We found a significant amount of fruit from this rythmn. Students who were not able to go on the Mission Trip could serve on a regular basis with the ministry.  We also found that students were even more prepared for the long mission trips and actually we saw more students go on mission trips because of it.  After they got back it stirred in their hearts to go even deeper with these activities.  Some of my students got involved in the planning process of the monthly activities.  Each monthly service opportunity is low planning, low cost, but very high return.  We partner with other organizations, ask our students to bring money for lunch, arrange transportation, and that's it.

Matthew 25:31-46
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
My hope would be that serving others becomes a regular rythmn in your life.
Below is a document I use for arranging these...

WORD- Service Projects

PDF- Service Projects.  



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