So once you catch the vision for bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world, it's common to assume the way to begin is to try to do "something really big for God!" That's certainly the "American way," but in our experience, bigger isn't always better. We recommend doing something profound: Start small. Remember our motto: small things done with great love will change the world. Small seeds grow into tall trees, and they're small for a reason - to take greatest advantage of the tiniest of openings and opportunities.
Contrary to what you may have been led to believe by television and the movies, changing the world is a pretty simple and humble process. Though it's serious business, it's often really fun, too. You don't have to write a best-selling book or become a missionary to some far away foreign land. World-changing opportunities will present themselves when you step out your door. One group of Christ-followers we know had a simple idea as they watched people walking down the boardwalk at the beach in Santa Cruz, California. They'd noticed lots of people uncomfortably brushing the sand off their feet as they walked along and wondered, "Didn't Jesus teach his followers to serve by washing feet?" One of the group members relates this story from their experience:
"Our church friends said, 'No one is going to let you touch their feet! You guys are crazy!' But they couldn't have been more wrong.
We set up at the Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz about 1:00 in the afternoon. There were just a handful of us. We chose a spot right at the entrance to the beach. Our supplies consisted of two fold-up chairs, two plastic containers, paper towels, liquid Dial soap, a five gallon jug to haul water, and a heart for the lost.
Our opening line went something like, 'Hi, would you like to sit down and let us rinse the sand from your feet?' We had very few refusals! In fact, we were so busy that we actually had people lined up! We took about three minutes with each person. We silently prayed as we worked, but when asked, about 95% of the people let us pray out loud with them. There were many heart touching encounters that day, but there was one I'll always remember. One gentleman from Asia kept calling one of our team members "Jesus." When we tried to correct him and explain who Jesus was, he replied, 'I know who Jesus is, and you are just like him.'
We all knew that if we showed up and were faithful, Jesus would show up, too. And let me tell you, seeing people on that beach through Jesus' eyes was absolutely amazing!"
Maybe this story doesn't sound particularly earth shattering, but we think it's exactly how God likes us to go about changing our world. This little group of board walk foot-washers was responding in the spirit of Jesus to a simple need they had observed. In fact, what they did calls to mind Ephesians 5:1-2 which tells us to, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
When we think of Jesus giving himself up as a sacrifice to God, we're likely to focus exclusively on one event that took place on the cross and forget the lifetime of service that preceded it. Jesus was "giving himself up" all the time. From the moment he awoke in the morning, to the time he went to sleep every night, his was a lifestyle dedicated to serving the Father by serving others.
It isn't one big moment in your life - one big act of service - that will change the world. It's the little things. The everyday things. It's the way you live your life moment to moment, day to day...today.
From the book, "Outflow: Outward-focused living in a self focused world" by Steve Sjogren and Dave Ping.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Another Testimony from KE08
This from Michael S., one of the participants from KE08:
Last weekend we did several service projects around all of hood county. We were at the schools, churches, other big businesses, parks, ball fields, and communities. We passed out water, food, healthy kids fliers, car washes, cookies, we helped do yard work, bagged groceries, pumped gas, etc. We were all over the place doing so many things and helping out so many people. I have been involved in every Love Granbury, when we do the monthly ones and i was involved last year in the really big one that we did. But this year more churches were involved and thousands of people were affected by our efforts.
That is nothing short of God's handiwork because there is absolutely no way that we could have accomplished all that we did on our own. God was and is moving in Granbury, He was with us on Saturday and provided in abundance so that we could accomplish the task that He had set out for that weekend. My group was in for the long haul and i really appreciate them for that. Love Granbury was scheduled to be over at 2:00. We grabbed a quick bite to eat then we were back to work. After the official Love Granbury was over we worked on a lady's yard, trimming bushes and hauling off a massive tree branch that had fallen in her yard. When we finished there we went on to another lady's house and she needed her yard mowed and weed eated, so we jumped on that. We worked until it was time to go to the church for the evening service and finally made it back home to get cleaned up. Love Granbury was very successful and i look forward to all the other projects we will do in the future.
Love Granbury, however, was not over on Saturday. Helping out people and meeting them where THEY are and bringing Jesus to them is something that we should do on a daily basis. There will always be more people in need than there are people to help. I am very excited to see what God can and will do in Granbury, Texas, but it is up to us to be faithful and accomplish the task that Jesus sets out for us on a daily basis.
Last weekend we did several service projects around all of hood county. We were at the schools, churches, other big businesses, parks, ball fields, and communities. We passed out water, food, healthy kids fliers, car washes, cookies, we helped do yard work, bagged groceries, pumped gas, etc. We were all over the place doing so many things and helping out so many people. I have been involved in every Love Granbury, when we do the monthly ones and i was involved last year in the really big one that we did. But this year more churches were involved and thousands of people were affected by our efforts.
That is nothing short of God's handiwork because there is absolutely no way that we could have accomplished all that we did on our own. God was and is moving in Granbury, He was with us on Saturday and provided in abundance so that we could accomplish the task that He had set out for that weekend. My group was in for the long haul and i really appreciate them for that. Love Granbury was scheduled to be over at 2:00. We grabbed a quick bite to eat then we were back to work. After the official Love Granbury was over we worked on a lady's yard, trimming bushes and hauling off a massive tree branch that had fallen in her yard. When we finished there we went on to another lady's house and she needed her yard mowed and weed eated, so we jumped on that. We worked until it was time to go to the church for the evening service and finally made it back home to get cleaned up. Love Granbury was very successful and i look forward to all the other projects we will do in the future.
Love Granbury, however, was not over on Saturday. Helping out people and meeting them where THEY are and bringing Jesus to them is something that we should do on a daily basis. There will always be more people in need than there are people to help. I am very excited to see what God can and will do in Granbury, Texas, but it is up to us to be faithful and accomplish the task that Jesus sets out for us on a daily basis.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Catching the Vision
So I guess when Micky asks me to post...that means I am supposed to write something. Love Granbury at Lakeside was such a great experience this year because it went across all age lines. We had our little guys in preschool all the way up to our senior adults working that Saturday. And I am excited to say that the excitement is spreading around our church. We are hearing from adults from all age groups who want to be involved and are sad they missed out on such an incredible weekend. our adults are already signing up to be involved with the May Love Granbury. And we can't wait to see how God uses the seeds that have been planted.....God is good. Keep serving! You never know who needs to hear God loves them today....and that His love is free!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Servant Evangelism Tip for This Week
Hey everyone, starting this week, we will be posting a new servant evangelism tip on the Love Granbury blog and web site each week. These will be practical, helpful little tips that will assist you with integrating the "servant evangelism" model into your church's regular, ongoing outreach ministry. If you come up with an idea for an outreach, please feel free to post it on the LG blog and share it with all the rest of us! Here's this week's tip:
Learning to work together, even on a small job -- can help a group become closer. Get your small group involved in a hands-on project. The project might be in the home of one of your group members, or it might be at your church or another location where people are in need of some volunteer help. Here are some tips:
Consider the skill level needed for the job -- is it laying tile, changing or fixing a faucet, hanging window coverings, painting rooms with decorative techniques, or refinishing wood floors? If it's beyond the average person's skill, arrange for a specialist to teach on the topic and demonstrate the methods involved. Check local hardware and home improvement centers to see if you can find someone willing to teach your group.
Determine what materials your church will provide and what group members need to bring. Make sure any supplies and tools are on hand.
Present a short devotional on Nehemiah 2:17-3:5 either before or after your project. In the face of oppression and ridicule, Nehemiah led his people to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. They depended on God to give them success. They dedicated their work to the Lord, and tackled it together. Help group members understand that even when they face adversity in life, relationships, or marriage, they can depend on God to give them success. Encourage them to approach the home improvement project with Nehemiah in mind, remembering that God called them to work together.
Learning to work together, even on a small job -- can help a group become closer. Get your small group involved in a hands-on project. The project might be in the home of one of your group members, or it might be at your church or another location where people are in need of some volunteer help. Here are some tips:
Consider the skill level needed for the job -- is it laying tile, changing or fixing a faucet, hanging window coverings, painting rooms with decorative techniques, or refinishing wood floors? If it's beyond the average person's skill, arrange for a specialist to teach on the topic and demonstrate the methods involved. Check local hardware and home improvement centers to see if you can find someone willing to teach your group.
Determine what materials your church will provide and what group members need to bring. Make sure any supplies and tools are on hand.
Present a short devotional on Nehemiah 2:17-3:5 either before or after your project. In the face of oppression and ridicule, Nehemiah led his people to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. They depended on God to give them success. They dedicated their work to the Lord, and tackled it together. Help group members understand that even when they face adversity in life, relationships, or marriage, they can depend on God to give them success. Encourage them to approach the home improvement project with Nehemiah in mind, remembering that God called them to work together.
KE08 Wrap Up
What a glorious sight it was last Saturday during the Love Granbury Kindness Explosion - 10 different churches outside their walls taking God's love into their communities, many of them working together in the same neighborhoods. It truly was an amazing day.
One of the most amazing things about servant evangelism is how common, ordinary items or acts become extraordinary when offered out of a heart overflowing with God's love. It's so cool to watch as a hot dog, a cookie, a bottle of water, or a bag of chips transforms before your very eyes into a tangible expression of God's love! In the same way, a simple act like pumping someone's gas and washing their windshield becomes a holy moment in time. We live in such a "nothing for free" society, that when faced with the prospect of getting something for nothing, many people become highly suspect. It's not at all unusual to hear phrases like "what's the catch" or "why would you do that"? Even after you tell them that what you're doing is completely free, many people still want to know if you're accepting donations! When it finally starts to sink in that they are about to recieve something for nothing, simply as a way to show them God's love, you can almost hear the door to their heart creek open ever so slightly. What a holy moment indeed!
Those moments were in abundant supply all over Hood County last Saturday. We may never truly know on this side of eternity how many seeds of God's love and kindness were planted by the Body of Christ this past weekend, but what we do know about is phenomenal! Here are the overall stats as we have them:
Over 500 people participating representing 10 different churches
Approximately 1,350 hot dog lunches (w/chips and drinks) given out
28 vehicles washed
1,676 bottles of water handed out
Over 500 cookies home baked and distributed to local businesses
12 widows home worked on
Pumped gas/washed windshields for approximately 300 people
Distributed approximately 3000 Healthy Kids Summer Lunch Program flyers door-to-door in all of our Healthy Kids neighborhoods as well as at the Granbury City Park and at Granbury Middle School.
All this done free of charge, no donations accepted, no strings attached...all to show God's love in a tangible way! And remember that with each contact, whether it was from handing someone a free hot dog, a bottle of water, washing their vehicle or pumping their gas, each person was handed a "kindness card" with the simple message that what we were doing was a free gift...just like God's love is free! What a simple, yet profoundly powerful message!
As we talked about at the Saturday evening celebration service, the way to truly make Kindness Explosion 08 a real success, is for each of the participating churches to make the commitment to integrate some form of "servant evangelism" into their normal routine of ongoing ministry. Whether it's monthly, semi-monthly, quarterly, or whatever, there's simply nothing more powerful to a watching world than our churches getting outside their four walls and into their communities to share the love of Christ through servant ministry with no strings attached. To God be all the honor and glory!
One of the most amazing things about servant evangelism is how common, ordinary items or acts become extraordinary when offered out of a heart overflowing with God's love. It's so cool to watch as a hot dog, a cookie, a bottle of water, or a bag of chips transforms before your very eyes into a tangible expression of God's love! In the same way, a simple act like pumping someone's gas and washing their windshield becomes a holy moment in time. We live in such a "nothing for free" society, that when faced with the prospect of getting something for nothing, many people become highly suspect. It's not at all unusual to hear phrases like "what's the catch" or "why would you do that"? Even after you tell them that what you're doing is completely free, many people still want to know if you're accepting donations! When it finally starts to sink in that they are about to recieve something for nothing, simply as a way to show them God's love, you can almost hear the door to their heart creek open ever so slightly. What a holy moment indeed!
Those moments were in abundant supply all over Hood County last Saturday. We may never truly know on this side of eternity how many seeds of God's love and kindness were planted by the Body of Christ this past weekend, but what we do know about is phenomenal! Here are the overall stats as we have them:
Over 500 people participating representing 10 different churches
Approximately 1,350 hot dog lunches (w/chips and drinks) given out
28 vehicles washed
1,676 bottles of water handed out
Over 500 cookies home baked and distributed to local businesses
12 widows home worked on
Pumped gas/washed windshields for approximately 300 people
Distributed approximately 3000 Healthy Kids Summer Lunch Program flyers door-to-door in all of our Healthy Kids neighborhoods as well as at the Granbury City Park and at Granbury Middle School.
All this done free of charge, no donations accepted, no strings attached...all to show God's love in a tangible way! And remember that with each contact, whether it was from handing someone a free hot dog, a bottle of water, washing their vehicle or pumping their gas, each person was handed a "kindness card" with the simple message that what we were doing was a free gift...just like God's love is free! What a simple, yet profoundly powerful message!
As we talked about at the Saturday evening celebration service, the way to truly make Kindness Explosion 08 a real success, is for each of the participating churches to make the commitment to integrate some form of "servant evangelism" into their normal routine of ongoing ministry. Whether it's monthly, semi-monthly, quarterly, or whatever, there's simply nothing more powerful to a watching world than our churches getting outside their four walls and into their communities to share the love of Christ through servant ministry with no strings attached. To God be all the honor and glory!
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