Archive for the ‘Service to Others’ Category
Serving As A Way of Life
As we come to the close of Be Rich, there is so much to celebrate. What an incredible opportunity we have had to do more and give more for the community we live in. Now comes reflection on what we have experienced during this season.
As I started reflecting, I had this thought: So much of my life involves checking off the things I need to do. I wouldn’t say I am much of a write it down and create the full A1, A2, B1, B2 system I have seen, but I can’t make it through my day without checking off the things I’ve done. And the reality for me is that this touches every area and relationship in my life (work, marriage, family, friends). Without knowing it, I can easily become a “to doer.” I wonder if I’m the only one that feels like this, but my hunch is that I’m not. At least I hope I’m not.
We all know that we are more inclined to serve those who have more pressing or bigger needs than we do during the holiday season, but is serving others just another “to do” item on our lists?
Of course my initial reaction is to say, “No way. I do this all throughout the year.” But, the more honest I am with myself, I begin to change my answer to, “If I just had more time, then I could have done more. “
We start each year intending to find more opportunities to serve others, but it just seems to get pushed to the back burner because we get into our routines and schedules. This is how it was for me for so many years. But a couple of years ago something changed. I found another way of looking at service. It changed everything for me. And I found it in one of the stories about Jesus I had heard so many times growing up. It was this idea:
What if service isn’t something we do, but who we are?
I had been taught that we are to serve others, but it had never really clicked like it did on that day when I was reading John 13:12–17. Jesus just finished washing all of his disciples’ feet and then he says, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15 NIV). There it was, clear as day—serving wasn’t an item on my list that I checked off; it was the essence of who Jesus was and is and who he is calling me to be. The more I dove into Scripture, the more I found this principle in the Old Testament with prophets like Amos, Micah, and Malachi (all books I am sure we have spent hours in!). It is all over the Gospels with the way Jesus lived while on earth. The prophets and Jesus let us know that serving is the visible sign of the Holy Spirit working on the inside of us.
This has been such a huge shift for me, because now instead of just going to serve, I look at every interaction God brings into my life as an opportunity to serve. I do not have to calendar it or check it off because opportunities present themselves—like mowing my neighbor’s yard, making a meal for a couple who just had their first baby, changing a stranger’s flat tire, or buying someone a meal. Yes, some needs are physical that I can meet, but there are also emotional and spiritual needs. The great thing about this shift of perspective is that now I have so many more opportunities to serve, and I can still engage with bigger needs when they arise, like Be Rich.
So as we wind down 2011 and begin planning for 2012, the question I would encourage us all to wrestle with is simply this:
Is serving who I am or something I do?
Let’s make it who we are so the people in Buckhead and even Atlanta can come to know who Jesus is because of what he is doing in us.
Ryan Van Sickle ::: Married Groups Director ::: Buckhead Church
Being Rich By Being A Friend
In April 2010, I finally called Woodson Elementary to inquire about being a mentor. I had been praying about it for months and feeling like it was an area of service God was calling me to, but I took my time deciding to make the call. I absolutely adore children, so I knew I would enjoy myself, but I was afraid I didn’t have enough time or enough right answers to mentor a child. I also wanted to help in a number of areas and was having trouble committing to just a few. I had a case of ministry “optionitis,” which led to procrastination.
Once I made the call, Woodson Elementary quickly paired me with a precious nine-year-old. We took our time getting to know each other, as she was a little bashful at first. Once she realized she wasn’t paired with a mentor because she was “bad,” but because someone wanted to be her friend, she really opened up. I realized that I didn’t need to have the right answers because she did most of the talking, and that I had more than enough time to spend with her because even meeting once a month has a lasting effect.
We spend a couple of hours together twice a month, either in school or out in the community. She loves to spend afternoons in the park, go to different restaurants, shadow different professions (depending on what she wants to be that month), serve at the humane society, go to church, read, play outside, roller skate, and go to the movies. The list goes on and on. Thankfully, she is as satisfied sitting and talking at the library or doing schoolwork at Barnes & Noble as she is going to a 3D movie or to a summer festival. What she loves most is that she has a friend that wants to learn about her and hear about her life.
I am very thankful for the opportunity to mentor her and for a church that decided to pay attention to the needs of many at-risk children just a few miles down the road from us. I have a lot of hopes for her, and I pray that as a result of our time together and the Lord working in her heart, that she will know how valuable she is, how much the Lord loves her, and that she will see a big, bright, limitless future ahead.
Nicole ::: Woodson Elementary Mentor ::: Buckhead Church
Be Rich: A Perspective On Poverty
Did you know that nearly 1.6 million Georgians live in poverty, and over 19% of Georgia’s children do not have enough food to eat on a daily basis? It can be hard to know what to do with statistics like these. Perhaps it brings to mind the faces you imagine to be behind the numbers—like the guy holding a sign on the interstate ramp. Those images break our hearts, and rightly so. But some of our neighbors are living in poverty and we wouldn’t necessarily know it: your child’s bus driver, the bank teller, the airline attendant, or the person bagging your groceries.
If one of these people is struggling in poverty already, what happens when they loose their job, or have to stay home from work with a sick child, or when precious work hours are cut? All of a sudden, a life that was already hard becomes a crisis. Buckhead Christian Ministry (BCM) meets the immediate needs of people like this every day by providing food, clothing, and assistance with rent and utilities. This help works to fill the gap and prevent a continuing problem that could turn into homelessness. For our neighbors seeking long-term change, we also offer a Transitional Housing program for homeless families, and The 70/30 Project, which couples money management courses with a plan to help families retire debt and find financial stability.
Still, at the end of the day, serving is about so much more than programs and statistics—it is about caring about people and their stories. It is about realizing that even in the middle of great hardship and personal disaster, there is hope. We might not always get to see how things turn out, but when we do hear success stories, we rejoice that God is in the business of turning brokenness into victory. And for those who are still in the midst of their struggle, we can share that there is hope; we have seen it! Buckhead Church’s support plays a large role in administering that hope through an encouraging word, a smile, donations of food, or financial help when it is needed most. Those things could be the spark that someone needs to realize that God can do something wonderful even in the middle of their hard times. Here are some stories we can celebrate as we have faith for others who come through BCM’s doors.
When Erin lost her job, she had no one to turn for help. At just 22 years old, she is the most financially secure member of her family. She sought rent assistance from BCM and later enrolled in The 70/30 Project. Though she is young, Erin has proven herself to be one of the most eager students in the history of the program; she is very motivated to provide a stable home for her 2-year-old son. After only three months, Erin has eliminated all debt but her student loans, and she is becoming the good financial role model that she never had.
Steve is a truck driver with 20 years of experience, but he was laid off from his job last spring. Steve, the single father of a 9-year-old girl, takes satisfaction in providing for his family, but when he was laid off, he struggled financially. He found help at BCM, where he received groceries and clothing for himself and his daughter. A few months later, Steve returned to BCM, this time with good news: He had found full-time employment! Steve’s hard work has paid off – today, he is able to provide a happy, stable home life for his child.
Thank you, Buckhead Church, for all you do to support our struggling neighbors through the Intersect Project and through Be Rich. We are grateful to be recipients of this year’s Be Rich Food Drive at Buckhead Church on Sunday, November 27. Look for details in the bulletin this Sunday or visit www.howtoberich.org.
Jessie L. Modlin ::: Volunteer and Church Relations Coordinator ::: Buckhead Christian Ministry
Big News about Be Rich
Hey Buckhead Church!
In case you missed Andy’s big announcement on Sunday about Be Rich, you can check it out below.
Be Rich Announcement from BC SPD 4 on Vimeo.
Join us Sunday as we roll out our next Be Rich goal — to serve 8000 hours in our community!
So very grateful for your generosity,
Billy
Billy Phenix ::: Campus Pastor ::: Buckhead Church ::: Twitter: @billyphenix
Be Rich: Building A Clinic In Ngaamba
globalX, the international division of Buckhead Church, works with multiple organizations around the world that are helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of communities and at-risk families. One of these organizations, The 410 Bridge, is currently working in the area of holistic community development in Haiti and Kenya.
Alongside elected leadership councils comprised of community members, The 410 Bridge focuses primarily on five key program areas in each community:
- Clean Water and Sanitation
- Traditional Education and Leadership Development
- Health and Wellness
- Micro-Enterprise
- Spiritual Development
Each year, globalX partners with The 410 Bridge to send teams of people to serve in various parts of Kenya and Haiti. But this year, as part of the Be Rich campaign, we are taking our partnership a step further and raising money to build a medical clinic that will serve the 14,000 people in Ngaamba, Kenya, and its neighboring community, Kiu.
Many of the health problems experienced in these communities are easily avoided or treated. Poor health adversely affects socioeconomic development and can translate into long-term disabilities. It is estimated that children living in poverty and without healthcare are 4.3 times more likely to die between birth and five years of age.
The 410 Bridge has already built a successful and sustainable health center after which the Ngaamba Medical Clinic will be modeled. The cost to build the first center, located in Kwabakenya, was $148,000, and it is owned and operated by the local community. Since opening in 2008, the clinic has operated independently and currently serves more than 6,000 community members directly and 20,000 indirectly (patients living outside the community who visit the center once or twice annually).
The creation of a clinic in Ngaamba will help to establish sanitary health care conditions, administer widespread vaccinations and medicine, provide critically important prenatal and maternal care, and educate thousands about disease prevention and malnutrition.
As part of the Be Rich campaign, we are excited to be able to support the construction of this health center in Ngaamba, providing at-risk children and their families access to a sustainable health care delivery system for the first time.
Heather Duffie ::: Director of Mobilization & Communication ::: globalX
