Project 51

Westwood Student Ministry has an ambitious goal for 2008, and we are calling it Project 51. Here is what it is:

We are going to try to accomplish 51 different mission/service projects over the next year. This is a daunting task. If you do the math rather quickly, you realize that we have to average 1 project a week to make that happen!

However, I believe it is a God-given assignment. I usually don’t say things like that, but I really believe that God has led us to take on the challenge.

So, why are we doing this?

Let me begin with a question. If Westwood were to suddenly disappear tomorrow (the people and not the building...of course), what, if anything, would Alabaster miss? Is there anything we are doing to live on mission in our community? Sadly, I think the answer isn’t good. However, we are not satisfied with sulking over that. We are going to do something about it. And, that is what Project 51 is about.

We want to try a lot of projects and services in order to discover that one way we can serve Alabaster. And, that leads me to how we are going to do this.

Well, every student does not have to be available for every project. That would be impossible. However, through LIFE Groups and CORE Groups we will hopefully provide every student at Westwood with multiple opportunities to serve.

Let’s face it. We are a consumer society, and church is often as much about us as Wal-Mart is. I believe that Project 51 is an excellent teaching opportunity for students to learn that life is simply not about us...not about me.

Watch for our stories around the church and on our blog.

- Jeff