A challenge to serve

It’s Students versus Parents for the 2008-2009 Academic Year! From now through July 31, 2009, students and parents are challenged to see how many hours they can serve. Each group (parents and student) is challenged to reach a goal of 2009 hours as a group.

So what counts? Most time spent serving counts. However, if the service involves getting paid, that doesn’t count. Family chores and responsibilities at home do not count either. Outside of that, just about everything is fair game. (If someone participates in a mission trip, they can count up to twenty hours for that trip.)

You may think, wow, 2009 hours is a lot of time. It might be, but think about this. We have over 80 students in our youth group. If each student performs 25 hours of service, that equals 2000 hours. (So a few students need to go the extra mile – or rather, hour.) That is about half an hour a week. Who can’t give half an hour a week?

What makes this goal even more attainable is that any student wishing to go on Mission: Cincinnati will need at least 40 service hours. If the team is the same size as this past summer, thirty-five, then that would be 1400 of the 2009 hours.

Here’s an equally important question. What about the parents? We have over 100 parents in our ministry. They only need about 20 hours each. An even easier task.

Who will come out on top? Only time will tell.

Over the next couple of weeks, there will be more details. I am looking forward to seeing what God can do with 4018 hours of our time over the next 11 months.

So why do this?

My experience over the last decade of serving in youth ministry has taught me that most people experience their most significant spiritual growth when they serve. I really believe that if we can get serious about serving, God will not only impact those around us, He will change us. And in the process we will be shaped more and more into the image of the living God.

shine!
Jason