2 years ago, when I was part of the Outreach Board - "I Had a Dream!"
I had done many exceptional service projects with our congregation over the years, enjoyed every single one of them, and always walked away knowing that we had not just talked about being Christian, but we were living out our faith by helping people in need.
But I had always yearned to reach further out than our local community. I had always dreamed about serving God on a broader stage, where we had to endure a little bit of hardship, inconvenience ourselves, maybe pass up a great trip that our friends and family may be going on, to be of service in his name.
And then Pastor John came along...
John and I share a similar vision that mission is at the heart of the church. We talked about doing something big, somewhere down the road, and we eventually went from talking about it, to planning for it. We started saving $500 here, and $500 there with the dream that someday, we'd be able to go on a "big" mission trip.
Well, 2 years later, and with thanks to a lot of people like Mary Criscione and all the members of our Outreach board, and members of our congregation that have given so generously to the Outreach cause, we find ourselves well into our journey to Beards Fork, West Virginia.
I don't think any of us know what we will find when we get there. But we all know that whatever we do, it will be living out all of the things we talk about in church every week - helping those less fortunate, using some of the gifts we have been given to serve others.
...for it is in giving, that we receive.
Rick
I had done many exceptional service projects with our congregation over the years, enjoyed every single one of them, and always walked away knowing that we had not just talked about being Christian, but we were living out our faith by helping people in need.
But I had always yearned to reach further out than our local community. I had always dreamed about serving God on a broader stage, where we had to endure a little bit of hardship, inconvenience ourselves, maybe pass up a great trip that our friends and family may be going on, to be of service in his name.
And then Pastor John came along...
John and I share a similar vision that mission is at the heart of the church. We talked about doing something big, somewhere down the road, and we eventually went from talking about it, to planning for it. We started saving $500 here, and $500 there with the dream that someday, we'd be able to go on a "big" mission trip.
Well, 2 years later, and with thanks to a lot of people like Mary Criscione and all the members of our Outreach board, and members of our congregation that have given so generously to the Outreach cause, we find ourselves well into our journey to Beards Fork, West Virginia.
I don't think any of us know what we will find when we get there. But we all know that whatever we do, it will be living out all of the things we talk about in church every week - helping those less fortunate, using some of the gifts we have been given to serve others.
...for it is in giving, that we receive.
Rick
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