The Importance of Serving

Junior Elizabeth Wiesen smiles as she serves at Angels of Light, a service event held during Christmas at Second Baptist School. 

Walking around Second Baptist School, it’s easy to find a group of students who are involved in some kind of service club or organization. Service is a key part of being a member of the community. It connects us to our neighbors and it inspires us to see good in the world. We see it in our peers, in our friends and in our families.

Second Baptist fifth-grader Glory Matthews recalls a time when her family opened their doors to a friend in need. “We offered her to stay in our house for as long as she needed,” says Glory. She believes that service is important “to make God’s community a better community … and to encourage others to do the right thing.”

Second Baptist students have many opportunities to serve. For example, many students participate in Key Club, an organization dedicated to serving the community. Key Club leads several service initiatives each year. Last semester, students participated in a Poinsettia drive, selling flowers to help raise money for the Brookwood Community for disabled adults. Key Club also organizes a college fair every fall where students can meet with admissions counselors from colleges across the country.

“Helping with the Poinsettia sales was a hands-on opportunity to help other people. Taking time out of my day to participate really opened my eyes to all the ways I can help,” sophomore and key club member Caroline Crocker-Gordon said.

Senior Arden Duhon talks to a college counselor at College Day, a fair organized by Key Club. 

“Key Club is a great opportunity for me to serve the community. Second offers so many ways to serve, and I’m just glad that I got to help,” junior and key club member Princess Matthew said.

Service is about more than just the act of serving. It’s about deciding to make a sacrifice to help someone else. It’s the mentality that the power of action can be used for good. It’s the decision to add positivity into your community and into your world. Sometimes, service can be as big as opening you home up to a friend who needs a place to stay. Other times, it can be as small as thoughtful compliment or a quick smile.

As National Random Acts of Kindness Day approaches on the 17th, take some time to consider how you can serve your community. Bake cookies for a classmate or leave an encouraging note for a friend. Take a day to focus on making someone else’s and you just might find that service can serve you too.