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Christian Service

Philosophy of Service

The fundamental philosophy of the Christian Service Program is that God has richly blessed all members of the Walther community and desires for us to share those blessings with others. Through service to others we grow in our relationship with God and our connections to the world

Why is Christian Service Required?

Requiring service is a means of educating students of their ability to influence change in the quality of life for others. Service promotes personal growth and value development. The appreciation of individual, cultural, ethnic, and other diversity and a broadening of the concept of “community” are also important themes.

What kinds of services count?

Some general guidelines are:

• Cohort Service—Service to Walther Lutheran High School or any agencies or organizations of Walther Lutheran High School for which the student is not paid or compensated in any significant way, including, but not limited to, graduation credit, course extra credit, and scholarship or grant money is Walther Service. Ten hours are required of all Freshmen.
• Congregational Service—Service to a specific congregation and/or ministry of a congregation. Aiding the ministers and staff of a congregation carry out their tasks, duties and ministries for the benefit of a member or members of the congregation, the congregation as a whole, or that congregation as they serve the larger community is Congregational Service. Forty hours are required of all Sophomores.
• Career Service—Service to an individual or organization involved with a career field the student may be interested in pursuing for which the student is not compensated in any significant way is Career Service. The students will be expected to write a brief explanation/summary of what they learned about the career in question. Sixteen hours are required of all Juniors.
• Community Service—Volunteer service that goes beyond the help you give your extended family and circle of friends. When you intentionally reach out to help others living in the wider community, the city, the state, the world you are doing some form of community service. Sixteen hours are required of all Seniors.

Summer Service Hours

Some service hours may be performed during the summer months. For example, teaching or helping with Vacation Bible School will count toward Congregational Service hours. For other summer activities you should check with a member of the Religion Department Faculty for approval first.

Specific Activities Which Do Not Count

Does NOT qualify

• Work done without adult supervision.
• Work for yourself
• Family service
• Working for your neighbor
• Working for pay.
• Working in the place of someone else. E.g. filling in for a paid employee who is absent.
• Working as a requirement for membership in any club, group, organization, or sports team or to fulfill some other classroom assignment.
• Entertainment or performance activities that are an extension of a class or co-curricular requirement cannot be considered for community service.
• Students can not use court-referred hours to fulfill the Christian service requirement.

Specific Activities for Which There Have Been Questions

Service hours will be granted for fund-raising activities for worth church or community causes, but fundraising for WLHS clubs or organizations does not count toward required hours.

Direct participation in a Christian worship service can be used to fulfill the requirement if it is not required that you participate, and it is not compensated.

Unusual Situations Which Do Qualify

• For-profit companies sometimes sponsor charitable events. Working for the event helps one or more non-profit agency. Your work would qualify. However, if sales are involved, 100% of the money collected must go to the social service agency.
• You may work for a for-profit company which provides community or social services if your work is not normally done by a paid employee.
• You may work at an animal shelter or the Brookfield Zoo if you are not paid, and without doing someone’s regularly paid job.
• You may work at a WLHS summer or sports camp if no one has required you to do so.