{"id":268,"date":"2018-04-04T22:38:08","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T22:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/history\/?page_id=268"},"modified":"2020-04-15T05:18:23","modified_gmt":"2020-04-15T05:18:23","slug":"serve-day","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/history\/student-traditions\/serve-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Serve Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Serve Day 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Due to George Fox University\u2019s Quaker foundations and Christ-centered theology, service to others has always been integral to the George Fox Community. One of the largest service projects George Fox students, staff and faculty take part in during the school year is Serve Day. <\/span><\/p>\n

The overarching goal of Serve Day is to allow George Fox students and affiliates to model Christ\u2019s call to serve. Through serving, not only will student experiences help shape their worldview but their experiences will also be able to bless others. President David Brandt put it simply: “It’s crucial that we practice what we preach. It’s the way of Jesus.”  <\/span><\/p>\n

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Serve Day is not only a wonderful opportunity to serve the community, but it also helps build relationships between students in the same living area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beginning in 1999 Serve Day continues to take place every year during the Fall semester, on this day all classes are canceled and the day is purely devoted to community service. All students living on campus, and many commuters join together to form serve groups. The day begins with a worship session on the quad and a short message from the university\u2019s president. The groups are then sent throughout more than 100 sites in Yamhill, Washington, Marion, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties. Each group has a task set before them that is for the betterment of others, and through these tasks, students are able to create relationships with others throughout our community.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Anthony Jordan III Serve Day 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cServe Day is an opportunity for the George Fox community to tangibly demonstrate the love and kindness of Jesus to our neighbors. It is about more than just a day of service as wonderful as that is. Our hope is that it will create an ethos of service tied to our commitment to Christ and serving others in his name.”<\/span><\/p>\n

-Brad Lau <\/span><\/p>\n

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Serve Day Worship 2012<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Serve Day 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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FUN FACTS ABOUT SERVE DAY:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  • Serve Day has attracted statewide news and was featured on the front page of the Oregonian newspaper.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The number of serve sites, originally only 73, has more than doubled and continues to grow. As of 2013, there are more than 143 serve sites. <\/span><\/li>\n
  • Each serve site is different, you never know what to expect! At one serve site, students take time to paint the nails of the elderly women with Alzheimers and listen to the stories they have to share. <\/span><\/li>\n
  • Many sports teams create their own serve group and serve the community in a way that relates to their sport. For example, the women’s golf team helped out at a driving range. <\/span><\/li>\n
  • As of 2017, there have been over 20,000 students, faculty, and staff who have contributed in excess of 200,000 service hours.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n