The Importance of Service and Fellowship Events

I love a good story. A friendship is full of them. After time away, these shared stories–experiences friends have with each other–can serve as an immediate “catch up” tool to rekindle relationships. We all need a storehouse of good memories and good stories with friends to remind us of why we enjoyed hanging out with each other in the first place. When these stories are enhanced around genuine acts of service, they move from pleasant memories to real connecting elements between people. These stores gain depth.

A very important, but sometimes overlooked aspect of the Head to the Heart (H2H) small group system is the Service/Fellowship Event. The bond between Guides and groups is central to the H2H system. If this bond isn’t cultivated, relationships will take longer to form. Theme Events are great for exploring faith and some real bonding and sharing happens during this time. However, to move from the head to the heart, it’s vital to get out of the church building, start doing some things and creating some stories. Service/Fellowship Events are part of the system for this reason.

Let’s face it, Jesus taught by being “hands-on.” People learn by doing and grow by showing. Jesus physically modeled service to the disciples on many different occasions. He could have only talked about being a servant, but—please excuse the sports analogy—Jesus got his jersey dirty and challenged the disciples to do so as well. Chances are pretty good they could tell some great stories about their journeys and their ministry together. I bet Jesus could, too.

Youth ministry should involve youth doing ministry. Service and fellowship are where “heart” bonding takes place. Give your kids a gift, and gift yourself, your leaders, and parents at the same time. Make service and fellowship a priority, and you’ll have small groups that have strong connections for years to come.