As a teacher of five sections of Anthropology (Old Testament), I would like to incorporate my weekly experiences with 115+ freshmen into this year’s Service Day Blog. But first…
Imagine a student new to Concordia and the whole Service Day experience. This student might be wondering what all the fuss is about from upperclassmen about spending a school day working off campus. It doesn’t sound like much fun no matter what anyone else seems to think. Now imagine that Service Day has arrived, that other students in the group are into the tasks at hand, and our student is still not all that thrilled about this “work” thing… and yet they gradually follow the lead of the rest of the group. Finally, imagine the end of Service Day, and our group is reflecting on their work accomplished. When the new student is asked their thoughts, the response is, “That wasn’t so bad after all…I guess it was even kind of fun.”
After many years of Service Days for CLHS -- and with about 55-60 groups going to work sites each year -- the above scenario is not uncommon. The reasons I mention it this year are two-fold:
- Work is good. When my students studied Genesis 1 and 2, they saw that Adam and Eve worked in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world, so work was a part of all that was good. Sin made work difficult, something clearly stated in Genesis 3. However, God still uses work for good, both as a blessing to us and to those we serve.
- It wasn’t that long ago when work became even more difficult. We were forced to work alone -- or at least separated by six feet and with our faces covered. It’s great to see our student body “at it again” by going out into the community and serving our neighbors in need. What a blessing it is to learn about work together!
Want to get involved next year? Parents, alumni, and friends of CLHS have proven to be a great addition to Service Day. Since each Koinonia* group determines its own plans for the day, the best way to get involved is directly through a current student.
To all who did participate in Service Day 2022, thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus to northeast Indiana. May God use our combined efforts to share his love to many.
In His service,
Mark Dolde
Koinonia Coordinator
*Koinonia, the Greek word for fellowship, is our school’s student-led small group ministry. Each group consists of approximately 3 students from each grade level, along with an adult.