“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. . . . Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Jesus’s words from Matthew 25:35-40 illustrate the eternal impact of sacrificial service. Along with Christian faith and scholarship, service is a key pillar of Freed-Hardeman University’s mission to empower students. Because of this, FHU continually seeks to provide opportunities for meaningful student-led service, both at home and abroad, through participation in yearly mission trips as well as events like University Servants’ Day.
For most young people, college is a time for independence and discovery, but FHU routinely encourages students to adopt a mindset of service during these formative years. In the spring and summer of 2025, 296 students — 26 percent of the student body — joined 17 mission trips across 10 states and seven foreign countries. Later that fall, approximately 800 students participated in more than 40 service projects during the university’s fifth annual Servants’ Day.
Hundreds of people around the world were blessed by their work, but the students themselves also found transformation through selfless giving, meaningful connection and seeing the world through the eyes of Christ. Senior Macey Richardson, who served in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, reflected on her spring break experience working with the Hemley Road Church of Christ. “This trip was a reminder that missions aren’t just about what you do in a week,” she said. “They’re about showing up consistently, loving deeply and being part of what God is doing, not just in projects but in the hearts and lives of His people.”
Short-term mission trips have long been embraced by the FHU student body. While some are faculty-led, many are organized primarily by students themselves. In 2025, groups traveled as far as Alaska, Panamá and New Zealand, each with goals unique to their destination. Many worked with local congregations on physical projects such as cleaning, painting and food distribution, while others organized VBS programs, visited hospitals or assisted in church camps.
Senior Caleb Todd was one of the coordinators for a Chi Beta Chi spring break trip to work with the Pleasant Hill Church of Christ in California. “Looking back on the trip,” he said, “I am noticing how this one week has helped the congregation in ways I never expected. The men there are now thinking of additional ways to reach the lost, both through door knocking and friendship evangelism. It is really encouraging to know that people are still living faithfully for Christ all throughout the world”
In Panamá, a group of Phi Kappa Alpha students spent a week serving in the town of Volcán. Junior coordinator Anna Claire Butt described her team as “rockstars” who were “ready to work from day one.” On the final night, they handed out backpacks filled with toys, candy and Bibles to local children. “I was able to sit down and unpack a bag with a little boy,” she said. “He was loving his new backpack and enjoying everything inside. But when he saw that he had a Bible, he pumped his fist in the air, grabbed it and showed everyone!”
Many students came home with similar stories of encouragement and connection with new friends all over the world.
In September, FHU students also turned their attention closer to home. Servants’ Day suspended regular classes so social clubs, academic groups, athletic teams and friends could spread throughout Chester County and West Tennessee to complete projects for schools, churches and nonprofit organizations.
One group, Zeteo, a women’s Bible study club, visited Southern Oaks to bring encouragement to the assisted living residents. While their original plan was to provide manicures, they quickly pivoted to writing cards when some residents were unavailable. Together they wrote dozens of cards, aiming to provide each resident with at least three. “Card writing is something we do often, and I hope this gives residents the attention and love they deserve,” said sophomore Annslea Pitts. “It could get lonely, especially if you don’t have family, so I hope our cards give them something joyful to look at.” Senior Morgan Hankins added, “I really loved this project. I’m hoping their cards will make their day and help them feel a bit more special.”
At Bethel Springs Church of Christ, about 50 Omega Chi members completed needed physical work for the congregation. Students cleaned the building, fixed the front sign, planted flowers and even completed household chores for elderly church members. “Servants’ Day is important to me because it’s a chance to give back,” said senior Micah Sutton. “I’m very blessed, and Servants’ Day is an excellent opportunity to pay those blessings back to others who may be in need.”
Ryan Fraser, FHU professor and pulpit minister at Bethel Springs, said he was grateful to see students serving so wholeheartedly. “As a professor it brings me great joy to see students get their hands dirty and serve,” Fraser said. “It warms my heart.”
Back on campus, Chi Beta Chi hosted an afternoon tea in Brown-Kopel for members of the local WinGS group (Widows and Widowers in God’s Service). Students prepared food, set up, socialized with visitors, cleaned up afterward and even organized a lively game of Bingo. Junior Ammie Spellings, a psychology major from Memphis, said she was grateful for the chance to connect with older Christians. “These men and women have so much wisdom and so many stories, and I just love hearing them talk about their lives,” she said. “Projects like this can teach students how to communicate with people they might not normally reach out to. It helps shy people come out of their bubble and encourages them to talk to those outside their everyday circle.”
Whether abroad or in their own community, FHU students in 2025 embraced the call to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Dozens of mission trips and local service projects allowed them to spread God’s Word, gain confidence in their abilities, lift burdens of the struggling and change their view of the world. As Jesus reminds us in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”
