Compulsory Meets Voluntary

Posted by: L.E.S. on: August 4, 2014

• In: Everyday Life | Faith
• 1 Comment

I see the value in Ontario’s Grade 9 math assessment and the Grade 10 literacy test, as well as in the selection of the courses high school students must take. But I’m just not sure about the volunteer hours requirement. Rather than foster a culture of volunteerism, it may mean that the joys of volunteering will be lost on many students.

One positive: work in the parish community may count toward volunteer hours.

Maybe we can involve youth more in the life of our parish even as they earn their hours by fulfilling roles such as these:

• helping with the children’s liturgy program
• caring for gardens on the church grounds
• singing or playing an instrument as part of the music ministry team
• serving on parish committees
• assisting the parish secretary by helping to prepare bulletins, announcements and bulletin-board notices
• preparing slides or operating the projector during services
• serving as a sacristan, a lector or an altar server

We can also encourage youth to check out volunteer opportunities at our parish job fair and speak with ministry group leaders, deacons, or our parish priest to find out where volunteers could make a difference.

And if we keep high school guidance counsellors up to date on ways students can serve, we can strengthen our church’s ties with schools in the parish.

I pray that, by providing opportunities for youth to volunteer, we would give them a way to become or stay connected to the parish and the Church—and opportunities to continue to grow in their faith.

 

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Tags: Catholic, Christian, faith, God, high school, religion, volunteer hours, volunteerism