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Forming Faith

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Summer service project for youth and children

by Jeanne Bye

Every year Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship (CMF) sponsors a summer service project for children and youth. These projects have raised funds for needs around the world, and each year the congregation has given generously.

This year the Christian education committee wanted to see whether the children and youth would be as generous in contributing hours of service as their parents are in contributing dollars. We set a lofty goal of 100 combined hours of service in several settings. The results are in, and the answer is a resounding yes.

With a looming global food crisis and an increasing congregational interest in supporting local food production and eating more healthfully, we decided that the summer service project should emphasize food issues, both local and global. All of the projects were connected in some way to food, whether serving at a local food pantry, running a sno-cone booth at a community festival, or “eating like the world eats” at a hungerawareness meal.

The first service opportunity spanned two days and emphasized simple acts of service in the immediate neighborhood of the church. On Monday night a large group gathered in the church basement to process a “bread drop,” a local restaurant’s periodic donation of bread products, which must be sorted, sliced, and repackaged for distribution to those in need. The next day’s projects were volunteering at a local food pantry; participating in a neighborhood trash pickup and prayer walk; and helping to prepare, serve, and clean up after the church’s semimonthly free community meal.

The goal of these activities was to create an awareness of and nurture a heart for small but important acts of service in the local community. Children, junior youth, and parents enthusiastically participated.

The second service opportunity was planned for the older youth. On a sweltering Friday in August, CMF youth spent several hours at the Interfaith Hospitality Network Day Center giving the kitchen and dining areas a thorough cleaning. A church family rewarded the young people’s efforts that evening with a pool party and cookout at their home.

After dinner, the youth and some parents who chose to attend watched a documentary film on housing issues in a blighted Cincinnati neighborhood and then discussed it. The movie and discussion prepared the youth for the next day’s activity: helping at a community festival in the same neighborhood. They assisted in setting up for the festival and then worked at the cornhole and sno-cone booths.

For the final service opportunity, we purchased a bushel of apples at a local lowspray orchard and then met in the church kitchen to turn the apples into several gallons of applesauce. The applesauce was then donated to the CMF community meal and the local food pantry.

After our summer of projects, during which we racked up at least 110 service hours, we ended with a hunger-awareness meal based on material from Oxfam America. The youth helped to plan and serve this meal, to which the congregation was invited. A hunger-awareness meal is a powerful piece of drama in which a group of people experiences firsthand the inequities of global food distribution. The meal put all the other projects in a global context and allowed many who attended to experience, if only briefly, what it feels like to be hungry.

The congregational response to this service project was overwhelmingly positive. Parents appreciated the emphasis on practical acts of service. Churches and other local ministries benefited from the exposure they received. In response to the series, one of the youth commented, “I learned how fortunate I am, and it really helped me set my priorities straight.” Enough said.

Tips for planning a successful service project:
• Pick a variety of activities and several settings to allow for differing schedules and interests.
• Choose activities that can be adapted to a variety of ages and abilities.
• Post a log of service hours to keep motivation high.
• Include some recreational and educational activities to complement the work.
• Take plenty of pictures and display them prominently.

Jeanne Bye is the administrative assistant at Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship and a member of the Christian education committee.