Serving and loving other people in Jesus’ name are critical components of our Christian witness, discipleship and life in God’s kingdom. Christians serve because they are thankful to God who already has loved and redeemed them. We have nothing to earn or gain; rather, we are simply giving thanks to God for what He has already done for us in Jesus. Service is an opportunity to practice and more deeply understand our vocations. We are eager to share His Word, to represent His love to the world and to grow in the Spirit. We love others because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
We are so grateful for our Servant Event hosts, and the opportunities they provide for young people to understand their faith more deeply, develop Christian community and serve in Jesus’ name. We know the impact that Servant Events can have in the lives of young people. Servant Event hosts make that possible. Hosting a Servant Event not only provides opportunities for God’s people, but it also gives opportunities to connect with your community before, during and after your event.
Thank you for considering hosting a servant event.
Getting Started
Before you jump into hosting, consider what it might take for your congregation or organization to accept on this important task. The best place to start is study and prayer about service. John 13:1–17, Matthew 25:31–46, and Philippians 2:1–18 are some places you can begin.
There are also practical considerations. LCMS Servant Events are hosted exclusively by LCMS districts, congregations, schools, camps or Recognized Service Organizations. Congregations and organizations are free to design unique opportunities independently, within the parameters given in this guide. This resource provides guidance and suggestions for a successful event. If you are hosting service opportunities that are not specifically LCMS Servant Events, these resources may still be helpful, but understand some elements will not fit your context.
Consider both your capacity and your resources. Planning an LCMS Servant Event can start more than two years in advance, but it takes a minimum of six months. You will need to develop a leadership team to manage various aspects of the event. Appoint this team early to ensure you have the volunteers needed to successfully host.
The design of your event will need to account for the type of work to be completed, dates, length of time the project will require and number of participants needed. The size of a Servant Event will depend on capacity. Some may open to 20 to 30 participants. Others may have a larger capacity of 60 to 120 (or more), allowing up to 20 to 25 participants from a single congregation.
Servant Events can take on several “looks.” Some can be completed in one day or over a weekend. Others last a week, or ten days or more. (This resource will focus on events that are about a week long, but can be scaled as needed.) Events can include a variety of service, such as construction, mercy work or providing faith-based programming. Servant Events can connect with local agencies, including homeless shelters, food banks or soup kitchens. They can connect with Recognized Service Organizations or work with local individuals.
If you aren’t sure about becoming a host, bring key leaders to join you in prayer. Talk and dream about what it might look like, and be realistic about what might prevent that from happening. You aren’t planning alone. LCMS Youth Ministry staff, the Servant Events Committee and fellow hosts will help you along the way.
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