Where will we be serving?

It is our privilege to partner with organizations already at work serving the needs of people within the community. We want to help these organizations do what they do every day of the year by providing them with volunteers. Our partnerships include working with the elderly, children, individuals with special needs, people who are homeless or in transition, or serving through hands-on labor with food banks, community gardens or neighborhood revitalization projects. While we place a priority on relational service ministry opportunities, we are also pleased to serve behind the scenes through manual labor; many YouthWorks participants will experience a little of both.

Do we work with only Christian organizations?

We love to partner with organizations that have a faith-based focus, but we also value what other non-profit organizations are doing in our communities. Our hope is to provide volunteer support to local organizations (service partners) that share our desire to love and serve the people of the community. We are blessed when we can be part of the story of what God is doing in a community whether His work is being done through a secular or faith-based organization. Of course, YouthWorks does not endorse its partners beyond providing volunteer support, so participants will not be asked to distribute fliers or solicit gifts or donations for any of our local partners.

Will we be able to evangelize or share the Gospel with people?

We certainly want to be able to share God's truth and love with the people in our communities; however, some of them have seen a great deal of aggressive Christian evangelism and we also understand that many of our ministry partners rely on government funding that limits traditional evangelism. It is because of this that while we encourage participants to be open about their reasons for serving, as well as in sharing their faith, we believe that this sharing is most meaningful when it is done primarily through our actions and within the context of relationships that have been built during the week. This is a method known as servant evangelism; we serve as the hands and feet of Christ and in turn He uses us to impact others for the Kingdom.

Who determines where we will be serving?

Full-time Regional and Area Directors along with summer staff will be responsible for choosing appropriate service opportunities for your week of ministry. The trip leader of each group will be asked to place each person from their group on a ministry, or work crew, with the input and help of site staff leaders on site.

When will we find out what we will be doing specifically?

You will not know specifically where you will be serving until after the Adult Leader's meeting on Sunday night.

Will we be serving in one place all week or various places?

It depends on the organization and type of service. While we make an effort to give every participant an opportunity to experience service with at least two different local partners, we find that in most cases it is more beneficial to our local partners to have the same volunteers all day, all week long. This allows participants to build stronger relationships and develop a routine with the service partner. Your YouthWorks staff will explain the week's ministry schedule when you arrive on site.

Will our group be serving together or will we be split up?

If your group is larger than seven people and has more than two adult leaders, you will most likely be split into different ministry crews for the week. Each ministry crew will have anywhere from 7 - 15 people with 1 - 3 adult leaders depending on the needs of the service partners, the size of the group on site, and the number and size of vehicles available. Ideally, each crew will be compromised of youth from different churches along with an adult leader from each church.

Will we have to drive to our service locations?

Yes, you are responsible for your transportation to the service location each day. You may be at one place all day or serve at one place in the morning and at a different place in the afternoon. You will be given maps and thorough driving directions to and from each location, back to the housing site, and to emergency facilities. In some cases, YouthWorks staff may be available to escort you to your service location.

Back