The act of giving back is a learned behavior. At Lititz Area Mennonite School (LAMS), community service is an unofficial part of the curriculum.

Not only did LAMS' recent Serve-A-Thon Day unite students, faculty and parents in pursuit of a common goal, it also served as a way to instill a spirit of service in young people. The community give-back day is very much in line with what LAMS does and what the school is all about.

"It was difficult work where (the students) got to see the impact they were having and the impact that these ministries have," said Lindsay Gabers, LAMS' Serve-A-Thon coordinator. "It gave them an idea of how many services are out there. They learned about the importance of community and the impact they can have. We know we are not called to go on this path alone. While they were at these places, the students were given tours and told what the ministries do. So there was an educational piece to this. Our mission is to provide a whole child approach to Christian education."

As part of its Serve-A-Thon event, a group of 365 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, teachers, administrators and parents from LAMS performed service projects at 13 different sites in the Lititz, Ephrata, Akron, Leola and Mount Joy areas on Oct. 11. LAMS did its good works at ministries, nonprofits, parks, nursing homes, food banks and playgrounds.

"I would say there is a sense of joy when you serve others," said Gabers. "It brings a joy that's like no other joy. It's a stronger sense of joy and accomplishment. It teaches selflessness where the students are not expecting to get anything back for their service. I think it's really empowering for the students. Some of the ministries are surprised by how much the kids can do."

Assigned mostly by grades to different sites, the students performed age-appropriate work and acts of service. Some of the jobs that they tackled included painting, packaging and sorting, cleaning, doing special projects and planting.

"It gives us a designated day to live out our core values and help the community understand what LAMS is all about," said Gabers. "We want to be a light in our community. It's somewhat unique in that the whole school comes together to celebrate our strong values. It shows the importance that the school puts on them. We want the community to have a greater understanding of LAMS' mission and find out what the school is all about. It's a wonderful school and a great part of our community. LAMS has been a Lititz staple for a long time."

"This year, Serve-A-Thon was really fun," said sixth-grader Leighton Smith. "I'm glad that we got to show the community that we care about them and we got to show the love of Jesus through serving. Our class went to Handi-Vangelism Ministries International and learned about their awesome ministry for friends with special needs, and then we got to help paint and work around their facility to help them clean up. I can't wait to serve again."

Located at 1050 E. Newport Road, Lititz, LAMS was founded in 1978 and for 37 years the school sponsored a Trash-A-Thon event where students, faculty and parents came together to clean up local roads and streets. Last year, LAMS instituted the Serve-A-Thon as a replacement for Trash-A-Thon.

"It's new in the sense that this service allows us to be more relational," said Gabers, "and it gives the students a little more purpose. But it's still serving. Community service is important because we are called to serve one another and love one another. We want to share our time and talents with others. I think it gives us a purpose outside of ourselves."

For additional information about Lititz Area Mennonite School, go to http://www.lams.info.