Serving the local community is a central aspect—and even responsibility—of churches throughout the country. Pastor Dino Rizzo, the founder of Servolution and author of the book “Serve Your City,” says that there are many ways that churches can do this, no matter what time of year it is.

The role of a church isn’t relegated to just preaching to members on Sundays and sharing the word of God with them. It’s an all-around effort that should take place every day, if even in small ways.

“Serving doesn’t always mean hosting large events or donating significant sums of money to a cause,” Dino Rizzo says. “It can be as simple as hosting a local park clean-up day or helping community members in need shop at the grocery store.”

Below are some examples of ways that churches can serve in spring, which can lead to regular outreach in the future.

Exploring church initiatives for spring

Milestone Church

Milestone Church in Keller, Texas, hosts an annual Serve Day that takes place in the spring in most years. The team’s idea is to impact the community in powerful ways through multiple clean-up and compassion projects.

In the past, the church has completed projects to serve single moms, widows, the elderly, veterans, those experiencing homelessness, and the poor. They have worked with the city to clear code violations and meet any other needs that they’ve shared with the team.

Milestone Church also extends its outreach efforts by partnering with other non-profit organisations, including clothing donation centres, food pantries, and many more. The church even set up a webpage dedicated to Serve Day to spread the word and get more people involved. 

“The more people that can be involved in an outreach effort, the better its success,” Dino Rizzo says. “Milestone Church is the perfect example of that—and how being dedicated to serving year-round can make a huge impact.”

Seacoast Church

At its multiple locations in South Carolina, Seacoast Church makes a difference in the communities it serves. The community has created missions to fight poverty, seek justice, and bring hope to local communities and to places around the world.

Locally, the church is dedicated to serving the homeless and other vulnerable children and families by creating clear pathways for engagement. Seacoast Church has set up a webpage where people can discover different ways to serve with a small group, serve by participating in a project that speaks to their passion, or serve with a specific partner organisation.

“Seacoast Church makes it easy for people in the community to get involved, by clearly outlining the different opportunities for doing so,” Dino Rizzo says. “Many people simply donate their time and effort to the church, and that results in huge positive impacts in the community.”

Church of the King

Church of the King, which has multiple locations in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia, hosts a Serve Day every year to impact the community in powerful ways. They make it easy for people to either find a project to participate in or even suggest a project that has meaning to them.

By bringing people together in this way, Church of the King opens people’s eyes to the huge impact they can have on the community through simple acts of kindness.

About Dino Rizzo

Dino Rizzo, a 35-year ministry veteran, co-founded Healing Place Church with his wife, DeLynn, where he served as senior pastor for two decades. Through his passion for inspiring believers to serve their communities, Dino Rizzo founded Servolution and authored “Serve Your City.” As Executive Director of ARC (Association of Related Churches), Rizzo oversees the planting of over 1,000 churches worldwide and is on the Senior Leadership Team at Church of the Highlands.