¶ … faith without works is dead. I don't know that I would necessarily go that far in my opinions, but I do feel very strongly that people who build and cultivate their faith have a desire to show that faith to others. One of the best ways they can do that is through providing service to others and teaching them about faith -- why it's important, what it can do for them, and what it can do for the people whose lives they will touch in the future. If there's no education behind the faith, it becomes hard for it to continue to grow. Learning is important for many aspects of life, and learning about faith should be part of that. How can we teach others about our faith if we don't have the knowledge we need to discuss our beliefs?

Service-learning is, I believe, vital for people of faith who want to not only learn more to help themselves but also who want to help others. Communities are often buoyed up by people who come along at the right time, reminding them that they are strong and that there is a plan for their lives. Those who spread that message are touched by it, as well, and their faith is increased because they chose to speak it out over those who were in the greatest need. This often happens after a tragedy, but people of faith shouldn't wait until something terrible has happened in order to start proclaiming the value in praise and belief.

The work that is done by people who are involved with service-learning also teaches by example, and that can help to strengthen the mind and the spirit. Doing good works and learning from them increases faith in the doer and the people for which the work is done. That also helps to foster a stronger sense of community than would otherwise be seen. Learning in a sterile environment has value, but not as much as being out in the world they'll be serving when the book-learning is done. When someone moves forward in faith and uses service-learning to gain knowledge, they find that the learning is an ongoing process which is never fully completed.