Down and Dirty - Service Sunday
The most impressive stories came just after our first Service Sunday this last March. This event was a new experience for us all; mobilizing the whole church on a Sunday morning to serve our neighbors by using teams and trucks to clean up the schools, homes and parks nearby.
We really didn’t know what to expect. Needless to say, much prayer and planning preceded the event. Two hours after a brief but energizing worship service, the workers returned from their sites of service; sweaty, dirty, but glowing with the presence of the Lord. Not one complaint was heard even though it was during the hottest time of the day and some of the teams encountered overwhelming heaps of home owner accumulation.
One mother of young children came directly up to me upon returning from her work site. She spoke with wonder and excitement how the dynamics of Service Sunday provided a rewarding experience that everyone in her family and the church family could participate in, both young and old. This was a fresh experience to her.
Another member remarked how she appreciated that the church members did not choose but were assigned to a team. As a result, she had a rich experience getting to know her team members as they worked side by side. She also observed at the Service Sunday potluck, people sat with other members that were not part of their customary “church cluster”. At the potluck, where homemade food overflowed, the volume of conversation and laughter was an affirming sign of good times had by all.
Sarah Zerkel