Friday, December 08, 2006
Service Projects
Every week we've had a number of "practical ministry" service projects worked into our schedule. Tanya and Lia cleaned Pauline's kitchen Wednesday. Thursday the entire team is at Paul's house re-painting a few of the walls. Other service projects have ranged from baby-sitting to yard-work for many of the different members of the church at Calvary Chapel Sydney.
A lot of those people didn't want to ask for help. Culturally, Australians don't like to ask for help. They'll tell you "no, no, that's alright" if you ask them if you offer assistance. It took a bit of persistence on our part for the doors to be open for serving in practical ways. It requires a bit of humility sometimes to admit when we really can't do everything on our own and we do need the body of Christ around us.
But the thing we've noticed, both here and on our mission trip last semester to Poland, is that the service projects consistently have ons of the most profound impacts on the church as a whole. So many churches its just the case its just not something people think about, when people haven't experienced love expressed in that way its so easy to be hesitant about the idea of helping someone else in like manner. But after seeing the positive impact its had on the church, Des, the senior pastor, now wants to incorporate a service component into the upcoming addition of home-groups at the church.
The benefits are multi-faceted. Not only are individuals blessed with accomplishing something they might not have the time, energy, or capability of doing on their own, but the time spent helping creates opportunities for fellowship and getting to know others in the church. We even heard one story about how Pauline used the girls coming over to clean her kitchen as an evangelism opportunity at work.
Tanya shared a devotion with us at the Wednesday night church prayer meeting about receiving the blessings of God. I asked if she would recap a little of what was on her heart that night for those of you reading the blog who weren't able to make the prayer meeting:
From what God has shown me (Tanya) here in Australia, there is a real need for the love of God to be practically lived out, and God had been stir this in my heart for a while. I would see a lot of needs and see that these needs could be filled by the team while we are here. My hope and desire is that as the team is living the love of God, it can be a great witness for the church and that they too would be encouraged to serve one another. Just as the scripture says in Galatians 5:13-14 and Galatians 6:10:
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." -Galatians 5:13-14
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. -Galatians 6:10
These two verses are great book ends in the book of Galatians, and within those verses are some really soul searching verses and Paul just beautifully wraps things up. I have been really touched and moved by what God is doing for the Molteno family and others, to let them be helped and assisted as this is the definition of what it is to "through love serve one another." And through it all, the greatest blessing was to be able to get to know and build relationships with these families.
Thank you to the families for allowing us into your house and into your hearts.
A lot of those people didn't want to ask for help. Culturally, Australians don't like to ask for help. They'll tell you "no, no, that's alright" if you ask them if you offer assistance. It took a bit of persistence on our part for the doors to be open for serving in practical ways. It requires a bit of humility sometimes to admit when we really can't do everything on our own and we do need the body of Christ around us.
But the thing we've noticed, both here and on our mission trip last semester to Poland, is that the service projects consistently have ons of the most profound impacts on the church as a whole. So many churches its just the case its just not something people think about, when people haven't experienced love expressed in that way its so easy to be hesitant about the idea of helping someone else in like manner. But after seeing the positive impact its had on the church, Des, the senior pastor, now wants to incorporate a service component into the upcoming addition of home-groups at the church.
The benefits are multi-faceted. Not only are individuals blessed with accomplishing something they might not have the time, energy, or capability of doing on their own, but the time spent helping creates opportunities for fellowship and getting to know others in the church. We even heard one story about how Pauline used the girls coming over to clean her kitchen as an evangelism opportunity at work.
Tanya shared a devotion with us at the Wednesday night church prayer meeting about receiving the blessings of God. I asked if she would recap a little of what was on her heart that night for those of you reading the blog who weren't able to make the prayer meeting:
From what God has shown me (Tanya) here in Australia, there is a real need for the love of God to be practically lived out, and God had been stir this in my heart for a while. I would see a lot of needs and see that these needs could be filled by the team while we are here. My hope and desire is that as the team is living the love of God, it can be a great witness for the church and that they too would be encouraged to serve one another. Just as the scripture says in Galatians 5:13-14 and Galatians 6:10:
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." -Galatians 5:13-14
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. -Galatians 6:10
These two verses are great book ends in the book of Galatians, and within those verses are some really soul searching verses and Paul just beautifully wraps things up. I have been really touched and moved by what God is doing for the Molteno family and others, to let them be helped and assisted as this is the definition of what it is to "through love serve one another." And through it all, the greatest blessing was to be able to get to know and build relationships with these families.
Thank you to the families for allowing us into your house and into your hearts.
