A year ago we committed to an audacious five-year vision. That vision is challenging our perceptions and practical expectations of what church can and should be.
- As the church we gather on the weekends, but the buildings we gather in are just that - buildings.
- As the church we're called to grow up in Christ, to mature as disciples, but the sign of a disciple is reproduction.
- As the church we support and care for each other, but it's not all about us - our care has the power to transform our community through the love of Jesus.
Simple statements. Stretching realities.
In light of our vision, we spent the past year surveying our community. We identified pockets of forgotten people that receive little to no help from others. So, while we continue each month to serve up thousands of food boxes through our community center in downtown South Bend, we're all coming together this Saturday to pack and deliver essential care totes for two groups of people in Michiana.
- Nursing home residents: We'll deliver care packages filled with wish-list items for 2,000 Medicare/Medicaid nursing home residents.
- Title 1 school teachers: We'll deliver care packages filled with wish-list items for 2,000 school teachers in under-resourced schools.
Note: this serve has nothing to do with our unique, individual S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences). Our SHAPE helps us identify those serving areas where our unique wiring best fits. We serve there with expertise and passion. The rest of the Body of Christ, the church, as well as our community needs us to serve that way.
However, sometimes there are tasks, needs, callings that rally the entire church - regardless of our SHAPE. Such is the case with Supply Drop 2012. It's an all-skate. All hands on deck. All in.
Are you in? We'll start with coffee and a light breakfast snack at 9am. Come early and get a head start on the caffeine if you want. That's what I'll be doing. We'll spread out in teams all over our building (at both Granger and Elkhart), pack hundreds and hundreds of totes, then go in teams to area schools and nursing homes to deliver the love of Jesus. His love will be packaged as totes, carried by the Church.
Together, one life at a time, one gesture at a time, we'll see our communities transformed for God's glory.
You in?
See you Saturday.
