Serving Together

“Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”   ~ St Francis of Assisi

On September 8th Calvary will have the opportunity to put in to practice the values that we preach as Christians. On that day we will be joining the larger church body as we live out the ELCA motto: “God’s Work, Our Hands.”  On the Day of Service we will strive to be the hands and feet that bring good news and light into the world of those who are under resourced. This is an opportunity for us to reach out to a group of people who may not feel comfortable darkening our door. We can be ambassadors of Christ’s love as we cheerfully and faithfully serve our neighbors.

This event provides us the opportunity to come together as a congregation and interact with each other in ways that will benefit our Christian community as we benefit the community at large. Imagine all of the congregation members of all ages working together for a common purpose, with each person serving to the best of their ability and sharing their gifts.  Events like this one serve as a reminder to children and youth that they are an important and vital part of the life of the congregation and they also provide the adults an opportunity to guide and mentor  future leaders.  Our cooperation with and inclusion of members of all ages in this activity will speak volumes to those encountering us for the first time.

We will serve the community, work side by side, and have fun together in the name of the Lord. This event will also be a great way to invite those who have tenuous connections to the congregation to join us in serving a purpose larger than ourselves. Our actions will speak louder than any words we could read or proclaim from the pulpit. No long term commitment is required.  We are asking for everyone to commit to one afternoon on Sunday the 8th, where each of us can share our gifts with a community in need. We will have carnival games, music, food, puppet shows, landscaping, flower potting, the library book-mobile, and a place where parents can get school uniforms for their children.

Every journey always begins with a first step, and our first step will be to move from Calvary’s comfortable walls outside to a world of people who need the presence of a loving, living Christ embodied in each of those who will be serving on that day.

This is a monumental task, but the rewards that will be reaped from our faithful interaction with each other and with a community in need will be well worth the investment. Joined together in the name of Christ and doing God’s work, we will be able to demonstrate to those we serve that we are more than people of faithful talk; we are people of faithful action.

Matt Byrd