Middle schoolers will do just about anything….but ask them WHY, and you’ll stump them almost every time. This is both fun and terrifying. Fun because you can make a great game of almost anything. Terrifying because they will follow you—even if you don’t know where you are going.

Your service projects need an identifiable purpose—a WHY—because while middle schoolers may jump when you say jump, YOU are not a middle schooler, and you need to know where you are taking yours.

The disciples often didn’t know why Jesus was doing what he did; but Jesus knew. I love that we get to read the Gospels as insiders. We get a much better view of where Jesus was leading his disciples than they often saw at the time. (Matt. 14 - 15 invites a great personal study of Jesus serving with the disciples as they fumbled to understand where their Leader was taking them.)

A crucial point of leading middle schoolers--and maybe anyone--is helping them connect the dots between the Word of God and the way we think; between the Holy Spirit and the convictions of our hearts; between Jesus’ love for us and the way we treat others.

Middle schoolers desperately need to get the WHY of following Jesus as their brains are starting to make critical thinking connections for the first time. NOW is your last, best chance to help them connect the dots! Service projects are an excellent place to show middle schoolers a WHY.

For your next service project, pick an identifiable purpose—a biblical heart attitude, skill or value that will help students get a WHY:

1. God’s crazy, big love for us (Rom. 8:38-39) is one WHY that hosting a Sunday lunch can show love to the senior adults in your church.
   
   

2. God’s compassion for the poor and oppressed (Isaiah 1) is one WHY for spending an afternoon with kids in a low-income neighborhood.
   
   

3. The Bible’s picture of the diversely gifted Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12) is one WHY for trying out painting, pressure-washing, hair-braiding and encouragement note writing.
   

What WHY has God shown you for helping middle schoolers serve?

What are your WHYs for serving? (For a great refresher on serving God with the right WHY, check out the summer edition of Cadre Connection.)

Show students the WHY in Scripture. Tell your pastor the WHY. Clue parents in on the WHY. Invite people to pray for the WHY to stick—and serve knowing that God is doing far more in your students’ lives this summer than burning off their sugar highs.

~ Laura Wampach