Is Your Small Group Ready To Serve?
With winter finally melting away and Daylight Savings time just around the corner many of us are also coming back to life! I have heard that many small groups have been on hold since the holidays with the onslaught of rough weather and long weeks of illness. Is your small group coming back to life? Are they starting to talk about how they can serve their community? Here are a few ideas to get them going!
1. The HCC Food Backpack Ministry serves about 100-120 local students every week. Your small group can help these children who experience food insecurity by hosting a food drive. This is an easy way to get neighbors involved near your host home as well. Collect canned ravioli, individual mac n cheese, nut-free snacks such as granola bars, beef jerky, and healthy fruit snacks. Plan a special time to pray over these students and families hit with hard times.
2. In the same vein, on average the HCC Food Pantry provides groceries for 130 clients. Could your small group consider hosting a canned food drive to help keep the pantry shelves stocked?
3. Does your small group enjoy being outdoors? Could they consider weeding and mulching at one of our local schools on a weeknight? Would they enjoy helping to keep the Journey Trails free of weeds and trash?
4. Does your small group have the gift of hospitality? Could they consider hosting one of our teacher appreciation breakfasts or lunches? Could they stock and deliver our WOOT WOOT cart, a snack and drink cart, to one of our local school partners?
5. Does your small group love shopping? Could they consider collecting 24 packed backpacks this summer for Pack A Pack? Could they purchase children’s socks and underwear for HCC Back To School events?
6. Is your small group packed with Prayer Warriors? Could they consider joining our monthly School Outreach Pray and Prep where we pray over local schools, administrators, teachers, and students?
7. Does your small group like to plan and host parties and fun events? Could they consider helping to organize community breakfasts or dinners for our community and ministry partners to come to HCC to be encouraged? Or help plan a teacher appreciation dinner?
8. Does your small group love children? Could they consider becoming a Family Friend or a Host Family with Safe Families for Children?
9. Does your small group have a heart for individuals living with disabilities? Could they consider connecting with our ministry partner Joni & Friends and serving at summer camps or family retreats this summer? 
10. Does your small group’s heartbreak for our unhoused neighbors? Could they consider serving at a cooling center this summer or a warming center in the winter?
BONUS option: Does your small group want to serve but is not sure where to start? Consider inviting Carissa Figgins, our local Outreach Pastor to visit your small group and learn more about how your small group can lead others to find and follow Jesus!
Make sure each of your small group members subscribes to this blog and is following the HCC Outreach- St Charles Campus Facebook page to stay up to date on serving opportunities and more!
