Summer is a great time to get children involved in service. A vital component of discipleship, service allows children to take the focus off themselves and become the hands and feet of Jesus. Consider both short-term and long-term options. Short term options are projects that children can complete at one time. Long-term options take more time but often leave a lasting impact on children. Looking for service options? Check out the list below.
Short Term Service Projects
- Clean the church
- Pick up trash at a local park
- Help a senior with housework or yard work
- Make care packages for the military or another service agency such as emergency medical team, fire department, or local law enforcement agency
- Make care packages for college students
- Visit a nursing home; make cards to pass out to each person you will visit
- Make gift bags for first-time visitors to your local church or children’s ministry
- Make get-well cards for those from your local church who are sick or in the hospital
Long Term Service Projects
- Mission trips (Consider mission trips to local areas for a low-cost option.)
- Allow older children to plan and present (with adult help and supervision) an outreach VBS at a local park.
- Ask children to take responsibility for collecting items for a food pantry or homeless shelter. Help them set a goal and come up with ways to promote the project and collect items.
- Raise money for a missions project. Children can plan and complete several fundraising projects during the summer. This would be the perfect time to raise funds for Helping Hands for Kids. The project for 2016 is to raise money for playground equipment for an orphanage and school in Manipur, India.