?The king will answer, ‘Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.'” ? Matthew 25:40 (CEV).

In accordance with Bible verses such as Mt. 25:40, the administration decided to sacrifice a school day in order to serve the community. The service project day will dispatch junior high and high school students as well as teachers to various non-profit organizations, Nov. 5.

?Our goal through this project is to make the community better and for it to have an impact on the students,? Principal Jon Endicott said. ?We hope that as they give their time to do service, it will change their perspectives and cause them to focus more on others. The students need to recognize the opportunities we have to make a difference around us.?

The event follows spiritual emphasis week in which speakers preached the responsibility of Christians to care for the poor.

?The purpose of the service day is to put faith into action,? Endicott said. ?The themes in chapel this year have been service and worship, so we are going to go out and apply what we have been talking about. Worship isn?t just singing; you can worship God through service.?

The day will adhere to the normal school schedule from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. However, instead of classes, students and teachers will work at a service destination according to their groups derived from Bible classes.

Before departing for the organizations at 9 a.m., the student body and faculty will begin the day with worship in the G.L. Johnson Chapel. Groups will serve at their assigned stations until 1:45 p.m., after which they will return to school.

Each group will work at one of five destinations: 66 students will go to The Well?s Neighborhood Thrift Store, 51 students will work at Pinedale Elementary and Pinedale Community Church, 28 students will help on the kitchen crew at Pavarello House, 64 students will remain at Peoples Church to work, 44 students will go to Northwest Church and clean up the Pleasant View Apartment Complex while five students will organize the library at Mt. Olive Baptist Church.

Junior high students will also divide into groups and work at five organizations: World Impact, Valley Christian Center, Dakota House and Cornerstone Church and Youth for Christ.

Endicott and other administrators discussed the prospect of a service project day after the 2007-08 school year. The day will supplement other canceled events for the year.

?The administration was talking over the summer about how we want to be more in touch with service,? Endicott said. ?Since we aren?t having a beach trip, we thought that we should do a service day instead of a fun day. I?m not aware of the school doing it previously.?

Freshman Allison Camden recognizes the benefits of service to the community. She receives a feeling of satisfaction from improving the lives of others.

?It?s a cool way to serve other people because you get the satisfaction of making someone?s life easier and better,? Camden said. ?It?s a good idea for the school to do and important because it can make the community a better place to live.?

Student body president Scott Orcutt, ?09, believes the project will demonstrate the Christian principles of the school.

?I think it will help proclaim that we are a Christian school and show our Christian attitudes because Jesus tells us to serve,? Orcutt said. ?Through it, we are showing our love for others and our love for Jesus.?

Orcutt envisions the event as a unified student body completing a service project for the neighborhood.

?I think it?s an awesome idea to have a service day because we get to do a service project as a school,? Orcutt said. ?We get to unite and do something good.?

Although Hannah Palmer, ?11, anticipates the service project day, she thinks students should be able to choose whether to attend or decline.

?I think the service day is important and a good opportunity, but I don?t think we should be required to do it,? Palmer said. ?It?s more meaningful when the students choose to help out instead of having to do it.?

The school advises students to wear work clothes, including a sweatshirt or jacket, and bring a lunch with a drink, Endicott said.

For more information, e-mail Jon Endicott.