2. Missionary Community Service Guidelines

men bulding a fence

Encourage less-active members, part-member families, and investigators to participate with you in service opportunities.

Where approved, missionaries may use JustServe.org to help them find service opportunities (see Missionary Handbook, 39–40). JustServe.org enables people of all faiths to unite and provide service in their communities.

Responsibilities

1. Act according to standards appropriate for a servant of the Lord.

2. Always remain with your companion.

3. Wear your missionary name tag and clothing appropriate for the service activity.

4. Never work directly with children under 16 years of age or be alone with anyone of the opposite sex while working on JustServe projects.

5. Encourage less-active members, part-member families, and investigators to participate with you in service opportunities.

6. Keep mission priorities in order. Service is important, but it should not interfere with your greater purpose: finding, teaching, baptizing, retaining new converts, and activating less-active members.

   • As a missionary, you will engage in planned service each week (Missionary Handbook, 39–40). You should not spend more than 10 hours per week in community service without permission from your mission president. Service should take place during daytime hours. Always get permission from your mission president before providing service on Sunday or preparation day.

   • Teaching appointments should not be canceled to accommodate service.

   • Get approval from the mission president before scheduling a service activity before 10:00 a.m. or for community service exceeding four hours in a day.

7. Talk with everyone with whom you serve. Be cheerful and engaging. Ask others about their families and interests. We engage in Christlike service not only to bless others and improve the community but also to meet others and make new friends.

   • We are not providing service to proselyte; however, you should feel free to ask and answer questions.

   • If someone expresses an interest in learning about the Church, ask if there is another time or place where you could meet.

8. Be safe. Think safety first. Use proper lifting techniques. Stay hydrated in warm weather. Wear protective gear appropriate to the service activity (protective eyewear, gloves, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, sturdy shoes, hat, sunscreen, and so on). Call the mission president if you have any concerns about the safety of a service assignment.

   Do not:

   • Ride on trailers, tractors, mowers, or in the back of a truck.

   • Operate power saws or drills, chain saws, tractors, riding mowers, hydraulic equipment, power washers, or non-mission vehicles.

   • Go onto a roof.

   • Climb higher than 6 feet off the ground or be in trenches deeper than 4 feet. Be sure to review safety instructions before using a ladder.

   • Come into contact with poison oak, poison ivy, and other hazards.

   Use with caution:

   • Manual (nonelectric) hand tools like hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, push lawnmowers, saws, and box cutters.

   • Small power tools like leaf blowers and weed whackers (protective eyewear is mandatory when using power tools).

9. Show up and be productive.

   • Work with and engage community members.

   • Show up! Don’t leave others waiting or develop the reputation of being unreliable. If you cannot make a service appointment, call the service provider and others who may have arranged the opportunity.

   • Stay busy. If you finish a task and time allows, ask for something more to do. Pitch in and give it all you have.

   • Clean up and put away the tools after you are finished.

   • Thank the provider for the opportunity every time. Make sure you have met their expectations.

   • Before you leave, be sure everyone understands when the next appointment will be.

10. Be alert and look for service opportunities.

    • As you work in your area, watch for opportunities to serve in food pantries, soup kitchens, other churches’ ministries, community centers, parks, and other locations. Let the zone leaders know about these opportunities so they can notify the stake JustServe committee.