1. Successful Practices for Implementing JustServe

women with garden tools

As we work side by side and learn from each other, mutual understanding increases.

Successful Practices for Stake JustServe Committees

Under the leadership of the chairman, committee members may be invited to assist with all or part of the stake JustServe committee’s general responsibilities. The chairman may consider the unique contributions that committee members or others in the stake may add because of their community involvement, life experiences, or Church callings. Less-active members or nonmembers may be considered to serve on the committee. Typically, wards and stakes have at least one member who is already involved in the community through his or her work or personal interests. To successfully implement the JustServe initiative in the stake, it should be introduced to the stake council.

Stake JustServe committees have used imaginative ways to find service projects to post on the website. Some committees have called a temporary representative from each ward to identify three to five projects. As a general rule, the stake director of public affairs or JustServe specialist takes the lead in contacting organizations and populating the website, although other committee members may assist. Stake Relief Society presidents take the lead in introducing JustServe to members, teaching them how to register and use the website, and encouraging participation in community service.

Recommended Responsibilities for Stake JustServe Committee Members

Stake Director of Public Affairs or Stake JustServe Specialist

1. Identify, contact, and invite faith-based, nonprofit, community, and government organizations to post their volunteer needs on JustServe.org and spread the word about the website in the community.

2. Contact organizations in which you may have established annual days of service. Consider approving and posting these opportunities on JustServe.org.

Stake Relief Society Presidency

1. Help the committee identify organizations in the community that render humanitarian assistance.

2. Help identify service suitable for all ages.

3. Take the lead in introducing JustServe, teaching members to register and use the website, and encouraging participation in community service.

High Councilor over Missionary Work

1. Help missionaries find service opportunities on JustServe.org.

2. Encourage the committee to post service projects that enable missionaries to serve with those of other faith (or no faith) traditions.

3. Help to establish JustServe in the stake as a resource for real growth.

Mission Zone Leaders

1. Ensure that hours of service are reported.

2. Be familiar with the missionary JustServe guidelines.

3. Make the committee aware of service conflicts such as transfers, zone conferences, interviews, and missionary teaching priorities.

4. Receive authorization from the mission president if service requires missionaries to leave their zones.

5. Be prepared to share success stories as a result of missionaries’ service.

Stake Young Men and Stake Young Women Leaders, Young Single Adult and Single Adult Representatives

1. Help the committee post projects suitable for and of interest to youth and single adults.

2. Promote JustServe to all youth and single adults in the stake.

3. Remember not to overwhelm the youth with too much service.

Other Committee Members

1. Members of the stake public affairs council may serve as members of the stake JustServe committee.

2. The ward bishopric member who has responsibility for JustServe may help identify service opportunities within the ward and help train ward members.

Successful Practices for Introducing JustServe to Ward Members

1. Before encouraging members to sign up on JustServe.org, the committee should first post 15–20 recurring projects. Inviting members to register before projects are available can lead to discouragement and frustration.

2. The best way to introduce JustServe to the members of a ward is during a combined priesthood, Relief Society, Young Men, and Young Women meeting. With the bishop’s approval, there is no need to wait for a fifth Sunday. A combined meeting gives stake leaders and JustServe committee members 45 minutes to introduce JustServe and to answer questions. It helps to invite members to register as a volunteer during the introduction. Stake and ward priesthood leaders should be given time to speak about the doctrine of service and bear testimony of the blessings of service.

3. The least effective way to introduce the JustServe initiative is in sacrament meeting, stake conference, or a stake leadership meeting, when there are multiple objectives and time is limited. These other meetings are, however, ideal opportunities to share positive JustServe experiences and testimonies of service.

4. Assure members that JustServe is not a program to add to their “to-do” list or “guilt” list, nor is it a pretense for missionary work. Members and missionaries should volunteer out of love and a desire to serve in the community.

Successful Ways to Approach Outside Organizations

Some people may be intimidated by approaching faith-based, nonprofit, community, and government organizations about JustServe. Consider using the following talking points:

1. To help organizations find volunteers willing to help, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has developed a website, JustServe.org, which is a service provided at no charge or obligation.

2. Expected outcomes for the Church:

   • As we work side by side and learn from each other, mutual understanding increases and bridges can be built with those not of our faith.

   • Missionaries are able to use their daytime hours for community service.

3. Expected outcomes for service organizations:

   • By providing opportunities for service on JustServe.org, qualified organizations may receive volunteer service from Latter-day Saints and others in the community as their time permits.

   • When appropriate, full-time missionaries may be invited to participate in projects.

4. Manage organization expectations:

   • Never make commitments for the number of volunteers that may actually sign up for a service project posted on JustServe.org.

   • Explain that once there are a variety of projects listed, citizens in the community, including members, will be invited to sign up and volunteer.

   • These things take time. Any decision to volunteer is made by the individual, not the Church.

5. Initially, all projects are vetted to ensure that they meet JustServe general guidelines (JustServe Community Service Guidebook, page 2). Once an organization agrees to comply with the general guidelines, they should be given basic administrative privileges on the website.

6. There are some simple guidelines:

   • We prefer to work with organizations whose purpose includes helping those in need or improving the quality of life in the community and whose projects comform to the general guidelines.

   • We are not seeking publicity for the Church, nor do we want to appear to compete with other faith-based organizations.

   • We will not ask for donations; we simply want to help where we can.

   • Although some of our volunteers are missionaries, they will not proselyte as they work. Of course, we may answer questions that may arise from others’ natural curiosity. They work in pairs, do not work with children under age 16, and do not use dangerous power tools.

   • While serving, missionaries will wear appropriate work clothing and their customary name tags.