Servers Wanted
Posted: March 27, 2010 at 4:32 pmToday was the annual Great Day of Service at our church.
2010 GDOS Church Logo
The Saturday before Palm Sunday, our church urges all members to sign up for one of the many service projects our church regularly participates in and then we all go out into the world to be the hands and feet of Christ. Our church is founded on the idea that there are three parts to really living the call of faith - worshiping God in Sunday worship services, growing your life in small groups/Bible study/personal devotion time/etc, and also serving the world. Today was all about the third focus of our church. And I hate to admit, it is the area I need the most help in so I was eager to sign up, just like every year.
Most of the teams met in the morning for communion and a short bit of worship and praise before heading out to the various projects.
we're ready to go out...to cities and towns we'll take your name
Peter and I signed up to join a small group that went to a local children's shelter to do some landscaping and painting their building needed. We arrived at around 9 am and got to work for a few hours painting the halls, lobby, and common room.
getting things ready for painting
my mad painting skills
It was very uplifting to do even such a small act to support the wonderful programs and services the building we were helping offers. I was sort of sad we didn't get to interact with any of the children though, since they were in a different area of the shelter.
Every time we participate in one of these activities with our church it really weighs on me that I am not more involved with service projects. Sure, I try to be a light, as Jesus would say, to others through kindness and openness to anyone I come across in my regular path. I try to be supportive and available to anyone who may need me. Every month, we happily pay our tithe of 10% to the church. But I know my weakness is I don't serve more regularly outside of my comfort zone...or more accurately, my convenience zone.
I don't go out of my way to find a program to volunteer in or take the time to even regularly sign up for work in areas our church needs help. I do what is easy for me. Serving as a leader in our Sunday school. Volunteering in the nursery once a month during worship. Bringing meals to friends after a birth or during another struggle. Taking time to stop and pray for any prayer request that crosses my path. But sometimes I feel like I can do more in order to grow more as a follower of Christ. Knowing all that God has done for me makes me want to go out and share His love. Hopefully one day I will find the perfect fit for me to do just that, even more so than I hopefully do now. 🙂
happy from serving
- Do you have any activities you volunteer in or ways you contribute a service to your community and those in need?
- What do you think qualifies as a true act of service? Do you think if there is some level of personal sacrifice involved the service is more profound?
- How important do you think serving others is as part of faith? Or even as part of humanity?
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Tags: faith
I’m guilty of not doing any service activities outside of my comfort zone as well. I’ve been wanting to sign up for Big Brothers Big Sisters but fear I won’t have enough time. I know I need to MAKE time for stuff like this, but it’s a work in progress for me.
I donated to a local food pantry today and that made me feel good. 50 families at the church are in need of meals every week so I know I made a difference in someone’s life today.
I really hate that I am not involved more in community or volunteer work. I think I am very selfish with my time in that way. I do donate to charities. I know that is not quite the same, but I do think it’s better than nothing at all. Good for you!!
Great post! It is always so fulfilling to serve others. Oh and I read somewhere that you’re taking a trip to Daytona? I was just there this weekend!
I’m sorry to admit that I don’t currently do any service activities. At least none that I don’t get paid for. But one thing that I do feel very blessed about is that my career field is a helping field. Every day that I go to work, my goal is to make people’s lives better.
My children and I deliver to groceries to a homebound elderly woman every Tuesday afternoon. We used to deliver to two other people but they got so sick that they are in nursing homes so now we swing by the nursing home to visit them. Admittedly, my intentions are not always pure. Sometimes it’s out of obligation b/c I want my children to learn that it’s important to go out of our way to serve those in need.
I also serve as an usher in my church once a month and volunteer occasionally to serve meals or help in children’s ministry.
I personally think serving others is important but many times I feel like this is done through taking care of one’s friends and family. I don’t think that it always means things like working in the food pantries and the like. I think God is using us all the time in ways we don’t even realize.
You look really cute painting! 🙂
You are amazing!! I’m inspired by your desire to give so much of yourself to serve others. You do way more than I do. I want to do more, but I am admittedly very selfish. I need to change that.
I do help in animal shelters on a regular basis and donate money to animal charities.
A true act of service would be something, where nothing back in return is expected (in my opinion).
As a Christian, I’m often convicted by the fact that I don’t really do anything to help others. If I truly want to emulate Christ, I need to not only have a close spiritual relationship with Christ, but also reach out and physically help those in need.
As of right now, my plan is to start to get involved with the youth ministry at my church. I guess you could say I’ve experienced a lot in my own youth, and I think that I could relate and try to be an example to kids that are going through the same thing(s) I did.
I certainly believe that helping others is an important part of our humanity – not just Christianity. But as a Christian, I feel even more called to do so!
I’m definately guilty of not getting out of my comfort zone to help others. I’m not even good about going to church on Sundays… I always find an excuse and wish I wouldn’t
I think we are all a little guilty of not doing things outside of our comfort zone… I know I am. I also know I don’t volunteer or do things for others nearly enough. 🙁