Serving with Dignity
A faith-based approach to serving others that transforms lives and communities.
People are more than problems.
Serving with Dignity is about seeing people as God sees them, with dignity, purpose, and potential. When we build genuine relationships, listen well, and walk together, lives are transformed, including our own.
Learn more about the approachRelationships over transactions
People as assets
Whole-person care
Place-focused solutions
Long-term commitment
A foundation of faith
The book
What if walking with God is an experience that is like nothing you ever expected?
For more than thirty years, Phil Hissom has walked alongside people in churches, neighborhoods, and communities believing he was helping transform the lives of others. Instead, he discovered that God was using every conversation, every relationship, and every act of service to transform his own heart.
Serving with Dignity: The Crucible of Christian Faith
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Go deeper together.
Companion resources help small groups, churches, and community teams carry the twelve principles into everyday life.
For individuals and groups
Serving with Dignity Workbook
A practical guide for individuals and groups to go deeper into the twelve principles through reflection, discussion, and real-world application.
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For leaders
Serving with Dignity Facilitator's Guide
A step-by-step resource to help churches, nonprofits, and community groups lead meaningful discussions and training experiences using the Serving with Dignity framework.
Learn moreA network of facilitators across the country.
Serving with Dignity facilitators lead churches, nonprofits, and community groups through the framework in their own communities. Find one near you, or find out how to become one.
This isn’t a book about becoming a better volunteer. It’s about becoming a different person.
From Serving with Dignity
Training. Resources. Real‑world impact.
We equip churches, nonprofits, community leaders, and volunteers to see people through the eyes of Jesus and build relationships that last.
Serving with Dignity began at the POLIS Institute.
Phil Hissom founded the POLIS Institute in 2009 to champion human dignity and place-based philanthropy. Serving with Dignity is an initiative that originated through POLIS, a community-based think tank for impactful philanthropy.
Meet the author
Phil Hissom
Phil Hissom has spent more than 30 years helping people discover the life-changing power of serving others with dignity. As the founder of the POLIS Institute and creator of the Serving with Dignity framework, he has equipped churches, nonprofits, community leaders, and volunteers to see people through the eyes of Jesus and build relationships that transform lives.