How to Engage Children in Service Through Faith-based Organizations

Throughout the world service is a key component in religious organizations, below are some tips on how to improve and incorporate more service into different levels of faith-based organizations.

Upper-level: Speak with church officials regarding the service component within your organization.

• If you feel there is a need for more service (especially for younger children) bring a plan of attack with you when discussing options.
• If the level of service is satisfactory, discuss options to perfect the service learning, making a meaningful contribution.

Middle-level: Collaborate with other members of your organization that participate more directly with the children/youth.

• See what you can improve, for example:
  • Write lesson material that can be used with the service project.
  • Network with community groups and officials to create opportunities for your organization to serve.

NOTE: Faith-based organizations are seen as an asset in almost every community. Local charities, schools and even stores are more than willing to help with service ideas and even donate materials. When asking for materials speak directly with managers, bring an out line of your project and offer suggestions to portray their logo as a local supporter.

• Organize a service chain within the religious organization: pair younger children with adults and have them visit other members of the organization. (Or break it up in families) When visiting, use the time to offer/give service. This way children participate in service and is served as others from their organization visit them/their family, etc.

Grass-roots: Get to know the families and children of those within your organization. Assess their strengths and see how family/ children can help to serve within this organization.

• If you have the opportunity to work directly with the children:

a) Discuss how service supports the values and beliefs of your religious organization. Use supportive materials (i.e. stories, quotes, scriptures, etc.)

b) Serve church members to strengthen the unity between the congregation – younger children will get to know the older members of the organization and vice versa. See Success Stories below 

Success Stories:

“Last Christmas my church class made small survival baskets for women at the battered women’s shelter. Each kid brought something, I brought tooth past and then we wrapped up the supplies and put them in bags and gave them to the women. It was really neat to see them when they opened the baskets, they didn’t have very much because some left their homes so quickly.” – Tenille Tengelsen (11 years old) Bozeman, MT

“When I was in Primary (church youth group ages 3-12) we would have achievement day activities where we would do service within the community, or our homes. In the summer we would help pick up trash and repair trails. I am grateful I had the opportunity to do service at such a young age, it made me feel closer to my family and especially my older siblings because I got to help out.” – Stanford Swinton (23 years old) Great Falls, VA

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist teacher, interviewed by Ram Dass, as quoted in Inquiring Mind Magazine, Spring 1996 issue.

Retrieved from http://www.creativegrowth.com/qquotes.htm#On_Being_Happy_and_Serving_Others