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CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Community Project Ideas
by Jeremy Samples
In my final summer as a day camp director, I began to realize the lasting impact that community or church-wide projects can have on those who take part in them. A musical put on by children attending day camp helped them connect with the larger church community. It was a time for the young people to share what they had learned with parents, adults, and other church members. As a result, the church community accepted the day camp ministry in new and exciting ways. In some ways, the day camp became a part of the church for the first time.
Community and church-wide projects unite churches and people in ways that other events cannot. Many events separate the church community into generations—children, youth, adults, seniors. Community projects can bring a church family together, creating memories and experiences for everyone involved. Community or church-wide projects can be an especially meaningful way for children to learn and serve.
Here are a few ideas for community projects from innovative teachers:
One of the leaders of the local quilters’ group organized all the ladies in our church who sewed to come to VBS with their sewing machines. She had a simple pattern for a bag that attached to the front of a walker for people to use to transport their belongings from one place to another. The ladies taught the children to sew the bags. That in itself was great fun. Then they planned a time after Bible school and took the bags to the local nursing home. The children and residents had a great time.
—Virginia Butler
I found out from the parents of my students what their occupations were, and I asked the students to conduct interviews with their parents and videotape them. If they didn’t have a video camera, they made an appointment with me before or after school and I filmed them. We put these interviews together and the kids learned about the different jobs within our class community. The children really valued hearing their parents explain their “job.” This might be something kids could do with different jobs within a church. Kids could interview the custodian or music leader (or another church worker or leader) to find out what that person does Monday through Saturday.
—Catherine Tyler
As a class Christmas project, I asked the children to bring in blankets and coats (instead of buying the teacher a present) and we then donated those blankets and coats to the local Union Mission. I had one student who even donated their beloved blanket that had been given to them when they were born, and that child said, “I can live without this because we have a lot of blankets in our house. I want to give it to someone who doesn’t have one so they will be warm on Christmas.”
—Catherine Tyler
Our class became pen pals with a class in another state. We mailed “real letters” and e-mails to the students. It was very meaningful and helped motivate the students to write (not just for work but for a real purpose). We sent pictures and even a video of our class. They also sent us pictures. It taught the children that they can be friends with others even though they do not live in the same place or go to the same school.
—Catherine Tyler
We have an Operation Inasmuch Day each year that incorporates several different mission projects in our community. Some ways children are involved include planting flowers at a local elementary school, putting together bean soup or hygiene kits for the homeless, visiting shut-ins or people in a nursing home and taking them small gifts they have made, and helping with yard work.
—Ginny Dempsey
We would love to hear your ideas for community projects. Please share them with us by e-mailing children@helwys.com. You might see your ideas on this website!
Jeremy Samples is a graduate of Shorter College and the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. As an editor at Smyth & Helwys Publishing, he first worked on FaithSteps, a Sunday school curriculum for children (now available on CD). He is presently the editor for Reflections, a daily devotional journal. In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar, running, and listening to live music.
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