It is time to rethink how we serve as Christians. In the effort to love our neighbors as our selves we often reduce our responsibility to projects most often carried out by youth.

It is interesting that while the academic world has discovered service learning as an effective teaching methodology, the Christian church has minimized the connection between faith in Jesus Christ and the practice of serving. We think of service "to the church" rather than service "by the church with the community."

Please join me in re-thinking Christian service. We can't accept making the greatest commandment into a trivial exercise, or worse, justifying our time in meetings as actually being in ministry with our neighbors.

Young people have been known to criticize the church because they can't see Jesus when they look at the way "church people" spend their time. Sadly in many cases they are right. Christian Smith in Soul Searching tells us "Parents you get who you are" and "Church, you get back what you invest."

How are families serving together in your community? How do the generations serve together? Is service framed in a way that means you are doing it "to" someone or "with" someone? How are people prepared before they serve and invited to reflect after serving?

Good questions! You are encouraged to read the document below and to begin thinking critically about your own life of service.

ServantLife Theology (pdf file)