confirmation acts of kindness

Confirmation Service Requirements have become Acts of Kindness

We know that it is a challenge to do traditional service hours during the pandemic. Granted, there are plenty of opportunities out there: delivering groceries for those that are sick, checking on neighbors who are isolated, donating to organizations that are supporting the unemployed, etc. However, with the pandemic, some questions arise: “Is it safe to serve?” or “Do I feel comfortable in this situation?” With the uncertainty of this time, confirmation will take a new approach for students to earn their service requirements. We will call it: Acts of Kindness.

                                                        Service

                                              noun

                                        the action of helping or doing work for someone.

                                      "Lutherans are involved in acts of service to share God’s love."

                                                             &  

                                                        Kindness

                                             noun

                                        the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

                                       “Lutherans spread kindness as an act of faith.” [1] 

COVID19 

With the sudden end to in-person worship services and confirmation classes last spring, service requirements were up in the air. Some students had completed their yearly requirements by March, while others had only some of them accomplished. 

To meet the situation in the middle, the requirements for service will be reduced 

to ten hours for 2019-2020.

How will this work? 

If a student completed their 20 required hours, they are done with the 2019-2020 requirements. If they had accomplished any number between 11-20. They are done. If they did not accomplish 10 hours of community service last year, they will need to take part in documented Acts of Kindness. Each Act of Kindness needs to be documented on the Google Form found on the St. John Website www.green-church.org and/or the St. John Facebook page St. John Facebook Page . 

Is this fair to the students who already completed service hours?  If you are intent on only counting requirements and not the joy of service…probably not. But anyone who has done service hours will probably agree that you gain way more than you sacrifice by doing them. 

Service & Kindness: Making your Faith Active in the World

Service and Kindness is a way of life and an expression of our faith. There is an old saying: “you may be the only Bible some people ever read”. Meaning, faith is about what we believe and about how we live. 

Because we want you to take time to reflect on your Acts of Kindness (AoK), each documented AoK needs to take place on a separate day. In other words, we are not looking for you to do 10 acts in 1 day. 

What follows are some suggestions. It is only a starting list so if you have something in mind that is not on the list, no problem, do it and submit your act of kindness on the Google Form: Act of Kindness

1. Send an email or text to someone to show your appreciation or thanks.

2. Go to https://elca.org/Resources/ELCA-Good-Gifts and read about saving or earning money to donate a chicken, water well, or school books to someone in need. And then do it!

3. Give a compliment for no reason. It only takes one sentence.

4. Share your gift with others. It can be a(n)…art project, story, poem, etc. 

5. Pick up litter around school, on the bus, or in your neighborhood.

6. Help your younger brother or sister with homework.

7. Play a favorite game with a bored sibling. 

8. Drop off old books to your school, daycare, or children’s hospital.

9. Going for a run? Offer to take your neighbor’s dog along with you for some exercise.

10. Hug your mother when she is not expecting it.

11. Hug your father when he is not expecting it.

12. Ask your mother or father about a special memory from when they were in Jr. or Sr. High. 

13. Write a nice note or card to someone and send it to them in the mail. 

14. Help raise money for a charitable foundation.

15. Hold the door for someone.

16. Let someone go in front of you in line.

17. Invite someone sitting alone to sit with you at lunch.

18. Say, “Thank you” to an adult that has helped you at school. 

19. Introduce yourself to a student or church member that you do not know.

20. Help around the house without being asked to do so.

21. Organize the clothes you don’t wear anymore and donate them.

22. Shovel an elderly or handicapped neighbor’s driveway when it snows.

23. Mow your neighbors’ lawns or water their plants while they are out of town.

24. Leave extra change in the vending machine.

25. Pay for the car behind you in the drive thru. 

26. Stand up for those who are being bullied.

27. Text a supportive message to a friend or family member.

28. Listen to someone who is feeling overwhelmed or stressed.

29. Reach out to that friend or family member who you have been meaning to call.

30. Pray every day for 10 days for a member of our military [even if you don’t know their name, God does!]

31. Share a snack with someone who may be hungry.

32. Allow someone to help you, even if you don’t like being or asking for help. (It makes others feel good).

33. Share with someone why they are important or special to you.

34. Forgive someone.

35. Put a surprise note or sketch in a family members lunch bag/box.

36. Send an article to someone. “I thought about you when I saw this…” or “this reminds me of…”

37. Go to How the Lutheran Church helps relieve homelessness and learn about our work to relieve homelessness. Is there something you could do today to help? 

38. Take a cute photo of someone you love and text, email, or mail it to them.

39. When people are gossiping about someone, be the person to chime in with something nice.

40. Everyone is important. Learn the names of your security guard, the person at the front desk and other people you see every day. Greet them by name. Also say “hello” and smile. 

41. Buy a small gift for someone. Just because.

42. If you see someone who looks lost and might need help with directions, don’t wait for him to ask you for help.

43. Go to How the Lutheran Church works to relieve hunger and read to learn about our work to eliminate hunger, then gather some groceries to donate to the local food shelf. 

44. When it’s hot, give out cold Gatorades to your mail carrier and garbage men. When it’s freezing outside, offer hot chocolate to crossing guards, police officers and others.

45. See a person or a couple trying to take a photo? Offer to take it for them.

46. When you want to help someone, ask: “How can I help?” and also suggest specific ways you can help.

47. Stop at a kid’s lemonade stand and buy a drink.

48. Leave a big tip.

49. When you see/hear an ambulance take time to pray for the person being treated and pray for the first responders as well.

50. Write a note and hide it in a magazine, book, or pocket where someone you love will find it.

51. Write a letter to a deployed or wounded member of the military through Operation Gratitude or Soldiers' Angels. Soldiers say that is the most meaningful part of care packages they receive.

52. Donate your old cell phones. You can usually drop them off at the local police department or send them to Cell Phones for Soldiers

53. Donate old eyeglasses to an organization that recycles them for people in need.(Drop them off at any eye doctor.)

54. Go to Do Something and Generation On find a cause that matters to you and read what you can do to help.

55. Check out the worldwide web. There are many sites that suggest random acts of kindness. Find your own ways you can do, donate, and help others. 

What about worship/sermon notes? 

Even though in-person worship has not taken place----we have been worshiping on-line every Sunday. We have also added Drive-in Worship Services at St. John on the 2nd and 4thSunday of the month. There have been plenty of opportunities to worship and complete sermon notes. Even so, we are also giving some grace on sermon notes. You may go back in our archives, on the St. John Facebook page [link above] and watch/reflect on past services to catchy up if you need to. Not on Facebook? You do not need a Facebook account to find the recordings, just click on the link above. Email Pastor Kari at revkbahe@green-church.org with the subject line: SERMON HELP if you have problems.