Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061203/ap_on_re_us/community_service_volunteers

The number of Americans who volunteer to mentor students, beautify neighborhoods and pitch in after disasters is at a 30-year high, fueled in part by a boom in teen participation, a new study says.

The report by the Corporation for National and Community Service tracked volunteer rates since 1974. It found that more than 1 in 4 adults — or 27 percent — currently give time to their communities, a jump from a low of 20.4 percent recorded in 1989.

Teens aged 16 to 19 saw the biggest jump, with 28.4 percent volunteering compared to just 13.4 percent in 1989.

I have been mulling over writing an essay called, "The Useful Church."  The idea being that the church ought to be more focused on others than itself – actually making a difference in real and practical ways.  A side benefit of such an approach….it seems as if it would resonate with today’s teens.

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