WHY THE SERVANTHOOD PROJECT?
THAT'S WHY.
More than any other time in history, we are preoccupied with our self. In our world of "i" phones and "selfies", we are engrossed with "me." To say we are self-absorbed is an understatement. It may be cute when we are self-centered as newborns but as we grow, the self-gene becomes less attractive. By the time we enter middle school the full time focus is serving self. Outside of the occassional chore they may be required to do, most teenagers live in "me" mode and just aren't encouraged to serve others.
While there is a place for entertainment and participating in activities that focus on our "amusement" (like Amusement parks), too many youth ministry events are simply that - entertaining for youth. The message that is subconsciously communicated - you can only have fun if you are doing something that pleases just you. After offering these types of events for years, we discovered another option... the Servanthood Project.
The Servanthood Project creates a safe, fun, God-centered, self-denying environment for all who participate. Every day, your son or daughter will have an opportunity to serve others at the expense of themselves. While it may be jarring (initially) to their system, we have seen hundreds of teenagers find radical transformation as they process God's word through the lens of serving. Instead of spending a day on a roller coaster, they spend a day rolling paint on someone's wall. Instead of helping themselves to another game of Fortnite, at Servanthood they will find themselves helping an elderly person in a nursing home or assisting a child do a craft at VBS, etc. The entire focus of the week is answering the question, "How can I serve someone else today?"
Every morning and evening, your child will be challenged by God's Word and encouraged to live out the example that Christ Himself showed us when He washed the disciples feet (John 13) and reminded those self-centered men that He "did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) It is our prayer that your child will experience (maybe for the first time) the greatness Jesus speaks of when denying yourself for the sake of others. (Mark 8)
Thanks for your interest in sending your child to The Servanthood Project! We are excited to have them for the week and to see what God will do in and through their lives as they aim to serve Him.
Be sure to check out the testimonial page HERE.
Serving Him with you,
Rod Arters, Executive Director
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY PARENTS
Q: WHAT KIND OF CONTACT CAN I HAVE WITH MY CHILD DURING THE WEEK?
A: We would ask you not to contact your child during the week except for an emergency situation. We strongly encourage you to let your child experience this week and glean as much as he/she can without any distractions from home. This week will be a departure from everyone's comfort zone and we have seen God do some incredible work as students lean on Him in those times. Sometimes the familiar (and comfortable) ties of home can interrupt the work God is desiring to do.
Q: WILL MY CHILD BE ALLOWED TO BRING HIS/HER MOBILE PHONE ON THIS PROJECT?
A: We are going to collect each cell phone on Sunday night and ask each student to trust us with them until Wednesday night. If I child wants to borrow their cell phone during the day to take a picture of their experience at Servanthood, we will allow that access briefly. Our experience is that if the child's phone is within reach, they will become distracted from the goal at hand which is to serve and focus on the needs of others and therefore miss out on the experience and opportunity before them.
Q: WHAT IF I HAVE TO REACH MY CHILD IN AN EMERGENCY?
A: We would ask that you INITIALLY contact your attending youth leader to alert them that there is an emergency and your child needs to be reached. Depending on the news, you may want to communicate this directly with your child and having us informed ahead of time helps us minister more effectively and mobilize your child to be where he/she needs to be. If the Servanthood Project leadership has your child's phone, contacting them first will also help you get to them faster.
Q: WHAT IS THE RATIO OF LEADERS TO STUDENTS?
A: On average, it is 1:5 (leaders to students). Every participating church must provide sufficient leadership for their own group and ensure that those leaders example biblical standards of behavior and leadership. Adequate leadership permeates every aspect of our week.
Q: WHAT ARE THE SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE WEEK?
A: The classrooms at HUMC will be turned into bedrooms. There will be 8+ people in every room and all rooms will be divided by gender. Students will sleep on air mattresses, cots & sleeping bags. Adequate adult leadership from all churches will be divided equally among the rooms.
Q: WHAT VEHICLES WILL MY CHILD BE RIDING IN ALL WEEK? WHO WILL BE DRIVING?
A: Your child will be riding in a 7 or 15 passenger van driven by one of the full-time youth Directors or their adult leadership. All seats will be equipped with working seatbelts and all drivers will instruct students to wear them prior to departure. All drivers have their driving license in good order and possess clean driving records. Safety is our first concern and we do everything in our power to see to it that your child remains safe while in our care.
Q: HOW FAR AWAY ARE THE PROJECTS FROM WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE STAYING?
A: One of the advantages of the Servanthood Project is that all the projects we serve are local. Unless it is unforeseen traffic, everyone should be able to get to their project within 15 minutes so no one is in a car too long.