In the months of
October and November, our church family has two (2) different serving
opportunities on our calendar:
1) Old Tyme Days in Hutto (October 19; 7am to 10pm)
2) Fall Fest 2013 (November 9; 11am to 2pm)
These events
are what we call "bridge-building" opportunities. In short, they give us a chance to
serve people in our community in some way by giving our time, talent &
resources (...and occasionally, even some blood, sweat & tears!). Our
desire is to demonstrate the love of Jesus in a tangible way. We want to
do more than share the Gospel, we want to show it. We call it "building a
bridge." Sounds awesome, right? Well, it is!
But occasionally,
someone asks me, "Why do you guys like serving so much?" That's
a good question, and it got me thinking. I have listed 5 reasons why we
love building bridges...TOGETHER:
1. It's
modeled by JESUS, so it must be important, right? He said of his own purpose:
"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:28)
2. It's
a picture of GRACE. I am always in awe that God's love
and mercy toward me, especially because it is so undeserved. I could
never earn his love, but He gave it anyway. In the same way, giving free
stuff is a powerful thing, because it awakens our sense of unworthiness.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Nothing. It's
yours.
3. It
makes people feel LOVED. Remember the phrase, "Time is
money"? Well, in this crazy, fast-paced world we live in, time may actually
be worth more than money. Calendars are full.
Schedules are packed. Every minute is precious. If we're
honest, we'd rather give away 20 dollars than 20 minutes. So, when someone
makes time in their day to care about mine,
it means a lot.
4. It's
CONTAGIOUS. I like serving by myself, but I LOVE
serving with others! The more, the merrier. When you assemble a
group of friends to work on a construction project, or fold clothes for the
homeless, or build flower beds for a senior citizens home -- there's nothing
like it! Laughter. Belonging. Teamwork. Fulfillment. These are the
treasures you'll find...buried within a good day of serving others.
5. It's
FUN! Nothing
makes us feel more "accepted" than laughing at inside jokes.
And nothing creates inside jokes quite like serving with friends. A
duct tape ball thrown at your head. A paint brush
"accidentally" touching your face. A cup of ice dropped down your
shirt. Nicknames. Bathroom breaks. Spontaneous sing-a-longs.
There's no telling what you can expect...but it's always fun!
So, how about
joining us on BOTH of these upcoming days? As your pastor, I get super
excited about building bridges in our community. However, nothing happens
without lots of smile-wearing, Jesus-loving helpers. So, here's our
simple 3-step plan:
A. Recruit like crazy. (we need you!)
B. Put a t-shirt on every volunteer (pick up yours on Sunday!
$10/adults; $5/kids)
C. Sign up & show up (see
Julie Bell for Old Tyme Days event; Fall Fest is a month away)
