Worship, fellowship, and service can all be intergenerational events and projects. This blog post centers on service project ideas to do as a community together.

Family Service Projects

Intergenerational service projects provide opportunities for participants of all ages to work together, build community connections, and contribute to joint activities. These projects can facilitate collaboration across generations and foster a sense of participation in your faith community

Numerous projects are suitable for people of all ages to undertake together; this text highlights five options. One project can be organized each month during Sunday School time, or scheduling can be adjusted according to the needs of your community.

Advance preparation is necessary to assemble the required materials. It is recommended to promote the event multiple times to maximize participation and gather donated supplies. Ensure the space is organized and ready before attendees arrive.

Pet Service Projects

Pet toys: Collect used, clean T-shirts and cut or tear them into strips. Teach your group how to braid. Knot the braids of T-shirt strips at each end. Voila! A pet toy!

Options:

• Collect used tennis balls, poke a hole through them, use a pencil to poke a t-shirt strip through the holes, and tie them onto your toy strip
• Take 2 strips and tie a succession of knots.
• Take 3 strips and tie a big knot in the middle.
• You can see different video tutorials here and here.

Give:

• Give the finished toys to your local humane society.
• Have toys available for any pet owners in your community to bring home.
• Walk around your neighborhood and give them to people who have pets.

Pet treats: There are many pet treat recipes to make as a group. (Search “pet treats.”)

Give: Same as above.

Sandwich Projects

Check with your local shelters and organizations that feed people with food insecurity about their needs and freezer space. Use soft breads of white or wheat with no condiments. Make sandwiches, place them in individual baggies, and then place them back into bread sleeves ready to deliver.

Options:

• Make sandwiches with cheese and bologna and some with only bologna.
• Attach sticky labels saying, “You are loved.”

Care Bags for Housing-Insecure People

Buy string bags in bulk. Ask the whole congregation to bring in the following items: Toothpaste and toothbrushes, liquid body wash, shampoo, adhesive bandages, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, granola bars (no nuts), bottled water, socks, and combs.

Fill the bags with a variety of the above items.

Options:

• Make male, female, and baby bags. Male bags include safety razors and shaving cream, female bags include feminine menstrual products, and baby bags include diapers.
• Attach sticky labels saying, “You are loved.”
• During wintertime, bags could include hats, gloves, and scarves.

Give:

• Place on tables for the community members to pick up. They may keep bags in their cars to give to people asking for donations on the streets.
• Bring them to local shelters to give out.

Card Giving

Pray for the person or people you are making a card for. Tell them that you prayed for them in your card. Place card-making supplies on tables: paper, envelopes, markers, stickers, pens, crayons, etc.

Options:

• Have name and address lists available of homebound people, nursing home residents, and the hospitalized.
• Have name and addresses available for local firefighters, police, or ambulance personnel. Choose first responders in your area.
• Make slips of paper with everyone in your faith community’s names and addresses, and place them in a large bowl. Participants pick out names.
• Have a list of all the volunteers in your community of faith: teachers, ushers, etc.

No-Sew Fleece Blankets

These fuzzy fleece blankets are fun to create for all ages together, and they provide comfort to a child or adult in need. No sewing required (video instructions)! Ask for donations to purchase fleece for these blankets. Check with your local hospitals, homeless shelters, care facilities, or police and fire stations to gauge interest in sizes and needs. Or deliver them to your local chapter of Project Linus. This group will distribute your blankets to organizations with the greatest need.

Intentional acts of kindness and service make a difference. Practicing kindness and serving others all together is a powerful way to pass on the gospel values of empathy, thoughtfulness, and social responsibility. Through service projects, we address real, immediate community needs and can bring joy to others. Jesus commanded us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” It takes intentionality to know our neighbors, let alone serve them. Through these service projects, we can share and show Jesus’ love.

Remember to pray. Remember to breathe. And enjoy!

Grace & Peace

Kirsten Patterson

About the Author

Kirsten is an educational professional with 28 years of experience in communities of faith, skilled in motivating, teaching, and team building. She has demonstrated expertise in building an arc of faith formation and educational opportunities from age 2 through adult. This has included fellowship, outreach, and intergenerational and age-specific classes.

With Spirit & Truth Publishing, Kirsten is happily employed as a writer and collaborator.

This blog post is part of a monthly series of practical advice for faith formation leaders by faith formation and education professionals. Summaries of these posts are sent in a monthly email to email subscribers. Subscribe today!