Projects of Kindness

Author Robert Costa, General Conference Ministerial Associate for Evangelism and Church Growth shares his compilation entitled, "Projects of Kindness."

Churches grow when there is a planned process of community outreach that meets the physical, mental, social and spiritual needs of people.

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Matthew4:23

Following the example of the Savior, the New Testament church met the needs of people in the name of Jesus. These early disciples showed an interest in the whole person: physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually (See Acts 3:6, Acts 6:1-4).

“Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior

mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for

them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them,

‘Follow Me.’” Ministry of Healing, p. 143

Growing churches have a variety of programs that meet the needs of different groups of people. Just like Jesus, who met the physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs, His people, full of love, do the same. Below there are some practical examples of projects of kindness. Almost every profession could be turned into a missionary project on vacation, selected days of the year, or week-ends.

  • Single mom’s free oil change. Most single moms have car problems regularly.
  • Neighborhood windshield washing. Going door to door washing windshields in driveways.
  • Mother’s Day carnation giveaways. Set up outside grocery stores on Sunday before Mother’s Day.
  • Sunday morning newspaper and coffee giveaway. Going door to door early in the morning to houses without a paper in the driveway.
  • Snow removal from driveways and sidewalks. Rescue people from the ditches, etc.
  • Pulling out cars stuck in the snow. Help people dig out the snow.
  • Empty garbage can returned from street. Bring cans back to people’s houses garage.
  • Kitchen cleanup. Humbling but powerful service, especially for older people.
  • Food delivery to shut-ins.
  • Praying in the neighborhood.
  • Car drying at self-serve car washes.
  • Leaf raking. Who likes to rake leaves? We do it for them.
  • Car interior vacuuming. Set up in small parking lot or at a gas station and vacuum cars.
  • Filling windshield washer fluid in cars. Refill washer reserves in cars and clean off wiper blades.
  • Cleaning fireplaces. Remove ashes.
  • Checking air on car tires. See if tires are properly inflates. Adjust pressure if necessary.
  • Memorial service. Advertise complimentary memorial service in newspaper or telephone books.
  • Radon detectors. Give out complimentary detectors in areas where radon is a concern.
  • Carbon monoxide detectors. Give out complimentary carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Smoke detector batteries. Give out complimentary smoke detector batteries for refills.
  • Outdoor window washing. Wash first floor windows.
  • Yard clean up Look for messy yards.
  • Easter basket giveaway. Every child wants an Easter basket.
  • Rainy day grocery escort. Help shoppers to cars with packages.
  • Toilet cleaning. Clean toilets of restaurants and stores.
  • Christmas gift wrap. Everyone needs their Christmas gifts wrapped. Do it at the mall for free.
  • Lawn care. Find unkempt lawns and go for it.
  • Soft drink giveaway. On a hot day, nothing refresh like a cold drink in Jesus’ name.
  • Free hot chocolate. Set up tables at store exits, bus/train stations, or sporting events and serve hot chocolate on cold days.
  • Water stations at marathons and running events. Offer electrolytic drinks in disposable cups to the runners.
  • Windshield washing. Hit every car in the lot at stores and shopping centers. Leave a note:“While you were away from your car, people from the Vineyard SDA Church washed your windshield”
  • Grocery store bag packing. Go to self-bagging grocery store and help people bag their groceries.
  • English classes for immigrants.
  • Can collecting in Halloween to be distributed on thanksgiving.
  • Thanksgiving dinner for the needy.
  • Balloon giveaway. Go to a park and give balloons and cards to children with parents.
  • Free bird feeders to convalescent hospitals. Share God’s love with birdseed.
  • Free house number painting on curbs. Address number painted on the curb with stencils.
  • Free community dinner. Throw a party for a neighborhood or for children.
  • Shopping assistance for shut-ins. Shop for those that can’t get out on their own.
  • Collect trees after Christmas for proper disposal. Meet a practical clean up need.
  • Doggie dirt cleanup of neighborhood yards. Clean up doggie mess.
  • Shoe shining service. Free shoe shining at stores, malls, other public places.
  • Feeding parking meters. Find expired parking meters before cars are ticketed and leave a note of explanation Light bulb service. Go door to door with light bulbs, offering to change burned-out bulbs
  • Laundromat outreach. Pay for washing machines and dryers at local Laundromats.
  • Blood pressure screening. Check people blood pressure at public places.
  • Car safety light check. Replace burned out bulbs in cars.
  • Killing weeds. Spray for weeds and poison ivy on sidewalks, driveways, etc.
  • Seal blacktop driveways. Help homeowners seal driveways.
  • House gutter cleaning. Clean gutters on houses of leaves, sticks and debris.
  • Birthday party organizing. Organize and run parties for children. Advertise in the newspaper, radio or TV.
  • Polaroid pictures. Find lonely people or couples at parks or malls and “shoot” them, and give them the picture. Add a sticker with a Bible promise.
  • House/apartment repair. Fix broken things. Limit repairs to your capabilities.
  • House/apartment cleaning. Who doesn’t need housework help?
  • Winter car wash. Spry off salt and road grime.
  • Free summer car wash. Signs, “Free car wash – No kidding”
  • Free haircut.
  • Operation Balm. With the official permit from the Cemetery, leave a flower with a car with a message of hope in every grave early in the morning on “All Saints Day”.

Additional projects:

  • Adopt a grandparent
  • Adoption services
  • ADRA mission trip
  • Adult day care
  • Advocacy services
  • Alcohol program
  • Baby care class
  • Bible study group
  • Big Brother/Sister
  • Blind camp
  • Blind services
  • Branch Sabbath School
  • Camping for children
  • Chaplaincy
  • Child care
  • Children's story hour/puppets
  • Clothing/bedding program
  • Community surveys
  • Cooking school
  • Counseling services
  • Craft class
  • Day camp
  • Deaf services
  • Disaster Response
  • Dental clinic
  • Divorce recovery seminar
  • Domestic violence program
  • Door-to-door contacts
  • Drug abuse detox
  • Drag abuse prevention
  • Drug abuse rehabilitation
  • Families of prisoners
  • Family camp
  • Family Counseling
  • Family finance seminar
  • Family life workshop
  • Phone Friend program
  • First aid class
  • Field trips for children
  • Field trips for seniors
  • Financial counseling
  • Food Pantry
  • Food distribution
  • Foster grandparents
  • Foster parents
  • Furniture bank
  • Grief recovery seminar
  • Handicapped services
  • Health appraisals
  • Health screening
  • Home nursing
  • Home nursing class
  • Homemaker services
  • Homeless shelter
  • Immigration assistance
  • Information & referral
  • Job-finding service
  • Job training program
  • Layettes
  • Legal aid Transitional housing
  • Literacy program
  • Literature rack
  • Marriage seminar
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Medical Clinic
  • Migrant Ministry
  • Newcomer ministry
  • Operation Overcoat
  • Operation Paintbrush
  • Parenting seminar
  • Preparing for Baby class
  • Prison Dress-out program
  • Prison ministry
  • Refugee resettlement
  • Self-help groups
  • Senior citizen group
  • Senior citizen lunches
  • Sewing class
  • Shoes for Little Shavers
  • Shoes for the Shoeless
  • Soup kitchen
  • Stop-smoking program
  • Street ministry
  • Stress seminar
  • Suicide prevention
  • Support group
  • Tax assistance
  • Teen run-away shelter
  • Thrift store
  • Transportation assistance
  • Traveler's assistance
  • Tutoring program
  • Vision clinic

In the natural world as well as in the spiritual world, there are laws of the harvest. One of the most basic is simply this: “To have a crop, it is necessary to plant the seed.” No farmer expects God to work a miracle and germinate seed he has not sown.

  • The only visits God can bless are the ones we make.
  • The only literature God can bless is literature we distribute.
  • The only prayers God can bless for souls are prayers we offer.
  • The only Bible studies God can bless are the ones we give.
  • The only evangelistic seminars God can bless are the ones we conduct.

It is presumptuous to believe we can have a great harvest without adequate effort in sowing the seed of God's word. In fact, it is in the process of sowing that our own hearts are watered by the Holy Spirit and prepared for the harvest. As we participate with Christ in touching the lives of others with the gospel, the Holy Spirit transforms our own heart making our churches centers of His healing grace.