Chapters
Start something small and faithful at your school.
A chapter is a student-led team that shows up to serve their community together — every week or every month, in Jesus' name. Find a chapter near you, launch one yourself, or grab the free resources we built to help you begin.
What is a chapter?
A student-led team that serves together in Jesus' name.
A Hands of Jesus chapter is a small, faithful group of students at a school or church that commits to monthly service, weekly rhythms of prayer, and long-term partnership with local nonprofits. It's less like a club and more like a family that shows up.
Faith in motion
A chapter turns Sunday convictions into weekday hands and feet. Small, consistent service — not one-off events.
Student-led team
A president and 2–4 leads carry the vision, supported by an adult advisor and a growing group of volunteers.
Partner-anchored
You don't invent needs — you show up faithfully at 1–2 local nonprofits and let them tell you where to help.
Discipleship first
Prayer before service. Reflection after. You're not building a résumé — you're being shaped by the work.
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
Step-by-step
The eight-step launch guide.
You don't have to figure this out alone. Here's the path we walk every founding team through — usually across 4–8 weeks.
- 1
Pray & gather 2–3 friends
Start by praying about it. Then invite a small circle who share the burden. You don't need a crowd — you need conviction.
- 2
Talk to an advisor
Find a faculty member, youth pastor, or trusted parent willing to sponsor the chapter. Share the vision; ask them to walk with you.
- 3
Submit your application
Send us the short application below. We read every one personally and reach out to schedule a conversation.
- 4
Intro call with Hands of Jesus
We'll meet with your founding team over video — story, questions, playbook walkthrough, and prayer together.
- 5
Get school or church approval
Use our club approval checklist below to walk through your school or church's process. We'll help you tailor it.
- 6
Assign leadership roles
Fill the four core roles (President, Operations, Outreach, Communications). It's okay to start small and grow.
- 7
Line up your first partner
We'll help you identify a local nonprofit whose rhythm fits your team. Show up for one shift before you plan anything else.
- 8
Launch & keep showing up
Host a launch meeting, publish your first opportunity, and commit to one service project a month for a semester.
Leadership roles
Four people can carry a whole chapter.
Start with these four core roles. You can add discipleship, prayer, or treasurer roles later as your team grows.
President
Vision & shepherding
Sets the spiritual tone, leads meetings, keeps the team praying and unified. Meets with the advisor monthly. Represents the chapter to Hands of Jesus.
≈ 3–5 hrs / week
Operations Lead
Logistics & safety
Owns signups, transportation, supplies, permission forms, and event checklists. Makes sure every service day runs safely and on time.
≈ 2–3 hrs / week
Outreach Lead
Partners & projects
Builds and tends relationships with local nonprofits. Confirms next month's project, communicates with partner staff, and gathers feedback after each event.
≈ 2–3 hrs / week
Communications Lead
Story & recruitment
Runs the chapter's social, newsletter, and school-wide promotion. Captures photos and stories from each event so the mission stays visible.
≈ 2 hrs / week
Monthly service ideas
A year of faithful, doable projects.
Pick one per month. Rotate causes so your team learns to love the whole community — not just the parts closest to home.
September
Assemble school supply kits for a nearby Title I elementary or refugee family services center.
October
Volunteer a shift at a regional food bank — sorting, packing, or family box distribution.
November
Host a Thanksgiving card-writing and visit day at a local nursing home or memory care unit.
December
Pack and distribute winter care bags with a downtown rescue mission or street outreach partner.
January
Adopt a park, greenway, or church campus and host a Saturday cleanup + prayer walk.
February
Serve dinner or run childcare for a local recovery ministry's family night.
March
Partner with an after-school program to run a spring reading and games night.
April
Help set up a newly resettled family's apartment or tutor English with a local welcome center.
May
Host a chapter-wide day of service, invite parents, share stories, and commission summer volunteers.
Meeting agenda template
One-hour chapter meeting
Use this as your default. Adjust rhythm for your context, but keep scripture and prayer as the bookends.
- 0:00Welcome & opening prayer5 min
- 0:05Scripture & short reflection10 min
- 0:15Last event recap & stories10 min
- 0:25This month's project walkthrough15 min
- 0:40Role updates (Ops, Outreach, Comms)10 min
- 0:50Sign-ups, logistics, questions5 min
- 0:55Closing prayer & sending5 min
Club approval checklist
Get officially recognized.
Most schools and churches will say yes when you come prepared. Work through this list before your first meeting with an administrator.
- Read your school/church's official club or ministry policy.
- Confirm your faculty advisor or pastoral sponsor in writing.
- Draft a one-page chapter charter (mission, cadence, roles).
- Complete any required club registration or ministry proposal form.
- Attend the required student-leadership or ministry-leader orientation.
- Confirm meeting space and recurring time on the calendar.
- Review transportation and permission-slip requirements for off-site events.
- Schedule your first meeting and publish it on official channels.
Promote your chapter
Flyers, QR codes & brand assets.
Everything you need to invite people well — printable flyers, editable posters, and QR codes that link to your chapter page.
Launch flyer template
An editable Canva flyer for your first info meeting. Drop in your school, date, and QR code.
Browse in Resources →Chapter QR code
Every chapter gets a unique link and QR code that opens directly to their chapter page and current opportunities.
Generated automatically once your chapter is approved.
Brand & voice kit
Logos, colors, fonts, and a short brand-voice guide so your chapter feels connected to the wider Hands of Jesus family.
Browse in Resources →Apply
Ready to begin? Send us the short form.
It takes about 3 minutes. We read every application personally and will follow up to schedule an intro call.
What we ask of you
- At least one student willing to anchor the founding team
- An adult advisor (faculty member, pastor, or trusted parent)
- A commitment to monthly service — quality over volume
- A heart for partnership over self-promotion
- A willingness to be discipled in the work, not just task-managed
FAQ
Common questions from founding teams.
How many students do I need to start?
Two or three committed students is enough to begin. We've seen chapters launch with a founding team of three that grew to twenty within a semester. Depth beats size.
Do we have to be a Christian school or church?
No. Chapters are welcome at public, private, and homeschool co-ops as long as students are free to serve in Jesus' name. We're happy to help you frame the vision in a way that fits your school's policies.
What if my school won't approve us as an official club?
You can still meet off-campus (a church, a home, a coffee shop) and serve in your community. Many chapters start unofficially and gain formal recognition after their first semester of consistent work.
How much time does it take each week?
Plan on one 60-minute meeting a week and one service project a month. Leaders usually spend 2–5 additional hours a week. It's real, but it's sustainable.
Is there a cost?
No. Hands of Jesus resources, onboarding, mentorship, and platform access are free for chapters. Occasional project supplies are usually covered by your school, church, or a small fundraiser.
Do you provide insurance or handle background checks?
Chapters operate under their host school or church's coverage and policies. We provide safety guidelines and templates, and we help you talk with your advisor about local requirements.
How does Hands of Jesus support us after launch?
We stay in personal contact with your founding team, share project templates and the launch playbook, and help you think through partnerships and safety questions as they come up.
Can adults or parents start a chapter for their teen?
A parent or pastor can plant the seed, but a chapter is student-led by design. We'll ask that at least one student carry primary leadership from day one.
Still have questions?
We'd rather have a real conversation than answer everything on a page. Reach out and we'll get back to you.