The Service-Outside-The-Walls Challenge

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D

DesertWanderer

Active member
#1
Nov 17, 2019
366
201
43
61
New Mexico, USA
#1
I am offering a challenge to those on this forum:

I challenge you to serve at least 1 hour this week to those outside the four walls of your church. I know many of you are ushers and pastors and children's group leaders and church kitchen helpers, etc. You may think you're "too busy already." After all, you serve God's kingdom within a highly structured church organization. You're doing enough already. And what I say to that is "Bah, Humbug!" I have three businesses I'm running just to try and feed myself and my son. I also have to find time for bible study, homework and house chores. On top of that, I battle skin cancer. So as you can see, I have a million excuses also.

Here are some examples of serving outside the four walls:

1. Go to your neighbor's house (the guy or gal you haven't talked since you moved in ten years ago) and drop off a plate of homemade cookies.
2. If you're on the prayer team at your church, find out the address of one of the people you've never met on the list, and go visit them to see if your prayers are actually working. Just show up. Don't worry about "barging in on them." After all, a prayer request is really a cry for help. So go help them.
3. Find out who the people are who can't go to church any more. They're the ones who can't drive because they're too old. Or maybe they got a DUI. Or maybe they can't afford a car. Go to their house and sing some songs with them. Open your bible and read to them. Pray with them. Repeat next week.
4. Go to the nearest homeless shelter and ask, "where do you need my help." Trust me, without much fanfare, you will be put to work!
5. Take your tithe check this week, and instead of making it out to the church, make it out to that pregnant waitress you saw last week at Denny's. Put it in an inspirational card you picked out at a local christian book store and write your e-mail, phone number and address on it. Invite her to contact you.

You do NOT have to:

1. Have a commercial kitchen to bake your cookies
2. Get permission from your pastor to visit anyone.
3. Do a criminal background check on yourself
4. Take some stupid 101 class on "How To Serve"
5. Feel guilty about giving money to the poor instead of an inflated bureaucracy
 
D

DesertWanderer

Active member
#2
Nov 17, 2019
366
201
43
61
New Mexico, USA
#2
I guess I will start:

I had the privilege today of driving an elderly man to the doctor and then to his bank to have a paper notarized. Not very earth shattering, but it's a start. What about you? Can you give us an idea of how you are serving outside the four walls of your church?
 
M

Miri

Guest
#3
#3
I tend to find that if you are open, God brings the opportunities to you.
There is no need to look for them as God knows where the real needs are.
Have lost count of the many which have presented themselves.

By the way, it’s a bit presumptuous to assume people aren’t already serving others.
 
D

DesertWanderer

Active member
#4
Nov 17, 2019
366
201
43
61
New Mexico, USA
#4
Miri said:
By the way, it’s a bit presumptuous to assume people aren’t already serving others.
Click to expand...
Maybe, but it needs to be called out that there is way too much "I will be sure and pray for you" and not enough "Here, let me help you with that." Wouldn't you agree?
 
seoulsearch

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
#5
May 23, 2009
16,492
5,428
113
#5
DesertWanderer said:
I guess I will start:

I had the privilege today of driving an elderly man to the doctor and then to his bank to have a paper notarized. Not very earth shattering, but it's a start. What about you? Can you give us an idea of how you are serving outside the four walls of your church?
Click to expand...
Hi Desert Wanderer,

You might find that you may not get a lot of answers to your thread, but that's not because people aren't serving or doing good in the name of Christ.

We've had a lot of threads here about what people are doing for the Lord, and I enjoy reading them because there are some very creative ideas of how to help people.

However, there are also a lot of very humble people here who are doing things for others but don't even realize it, and therefore, would not even think to answer a thread like this. I had a conversation with a CC'er not long ago in which the person had helped an elderly neighbor set up her TV, and the found out later that the neighbor had wanted a TV so that she could watch worship programs on television. But this person didn't even realize they were doing something wonderful for the other person -- they totally shrugged it off as no big deal and just what a person should do.

Many people here on the forum will also quote the passage in which the Bible says that if you do a good deed, your left hand shouldn't know what that right is doing, and that when you give, it should be in secret, or you will lose your heavenly reward. (Matthew 6:1-4.)

While I personally believe that in some cases, it's good to talk about the work you're doing in order to encourage, troubleshoot, or ask for advice, but rest assured, there are many people here who are doing things for others, but might feel uncomfortable announcing it in the forums. :)
 
P

Pinkney

New member
#6
Nov 23, 2019
24
18
3
78
deep south
#6
DesertWanderer said:
I am offering a challenge to those on this forum:

I challenge you to serve at least 1 hour this week to those outside the four walls of your church. I know many of you are ushers and pastors and children's group leaders and church kitchen helpers, etc. You may think you're "too busy already." After all, you serve God's kingdom within a highly structured church organization. You're doing enough already. And what I say to that is "Bah, Humbug!" I have three businesses I'm running just to try and feed myself and my son. I also have to find time for bible study, homework and house chores. On top of that, I battle skin cancer. So as you can see, I have a million excuses also.

Here are some examples of serving outside the four walls:

1. Go to your neighbor's house (the guy or gal you haven't talked since you moved in ten years ago) and drop off a plate of homemade cookies.
2. If you're on the prayer team at your church, find out the address of one of the people you've never met on the list, and go visit them to see if your prayers are actually working. Just show up. Don't worry about "barging in on them." After all, a prayer request is really a cry for help. So go help them.
3. Find out who the people are who can't go to church any more. They're the ones who can't drive because they're too old. Or maybe they got a DUI. Or maybe they can't afford a car. Go to their house and sing some songs with them. Open your bible and read to them. Pray with them. Repeat next week.
4. Go to the nearest homeless shelter and ask, "where do you need my help." Trust me, without much fanfare, you will be put to work!
5. Take your tithe check this week, and instead of making it out to the church, make it out to that pregnant waitress you saw last week at Denny's. Put it in an inspirational card you picked out at a local christian book store and write your e-mail, phone number and address on it. Invite her to contact you.

You do NOT have to:

1. Have a commercial kitchen to bake your cookies
2. Get permission from your pastor to visit anyone.
3. Do a criminal background check on yourself
4. Take some stupid 101 class on "How To Serve"
5. Feel guilty about giving money to the poor instead of an inflated bureaucracy
Click to expand...

We go to mcdonalds and do a Bible Study, attend one at Hardes and Lizards thicket and one on Sunday, give out
crosses and do a flea market one. The world is white and many fields, just do what God ask of you.
Amen!
 
D

DesertWanderer

Active member
#7
Nov 17, 2019
366
201
43
61
New Mexico, USA
#7
seoulsearch said:
Many people here on the forum will also quote the passage in which the Bible says that if you do a good deed, your left hand shouldn't know what that right is doing, and that when you give, it should be in secret, or you will lose your heavenly reward. (Matthew 6:1-4.)
Click to expand...
I've been waiting for this type of reply to my post. And I agree with you, to a point. I agree we should not be show-boating. I think Jesus was specifically referring to those religious leaders who wanted to score points with not only the public, but with the other Pharisees. My intention here is not to score points. And I am certainly not pining for an "ataboy!"

I think I'll just let God's word explain why I feel the way I do:


Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:14-17

We as followers of Christ often use the excuse that works alone cannot save us. Therefore it's okay to just pray for someone and leave the hard work to God (or someone else). But as James aptly points out here, our works are evidence of our faith. Therefor, let's get up off our pews and get out into the real world. Let's roll up our sleeves and actively seek out those who are in need and hurting. A great place to start is all those prayer requests (which are really a cry for help). Before they get dumped into the trash, let's reach out and follow up on those hurting people. Who knows, after they stop hurting, they may be called to help us when it's our turn to hurt.
 
M

Miri

Guest
#8
#8
DesertWanderer said:
I've been waiting for this type of reply to my post. And I agree with you, to a point. I agree we should not be show-boating. I think Jesus was specifically referring to those religious leaders who wanted to score points with not only the public, but with the other Pharisees. My intention here is not to score points. And I am certainly not pining for an "ataboy!"

I think I'll just let God's word explain why I feel the way I do:


Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:14-17

We as followers of Christ often use the excuse that works alone cannot save us. Therefore it's okay to just pray for someone and leave the hard work to God (or someone else). But as James aptly points out here, our works are evidence of our faith. Therefor, let's get up off our pews and get out into the real world. Let's roll up our sleeves and actively seek out those who are in need and hurting. A great place to start is all those prayer requests (which are really a cry for help). Before they get dumped into the trash, let's reach out and follow up on those hurting people. Who knows, after they stop hurting, they may be called to help us when it's our turn to hurt.
Click to expand...
Can I make a kindly suggestion.

That you get to know people on here first before galloping headlong into
the “get off your bottom and go do some good works” mode of thought.

There are people on here struggling with bereavement, health problems,
family difficulties, mental health difficulties, unemployment, old age etc etc

As already stated, there are are many people on here who give in so many ways to
others. Far more so than driving a person to a bank.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s good that you recognised a need and made yourself
available and I can’t fault your enthusiasm.

Just get to know people a bit before assuming anything.

Oh and stay out of the bible discussion forum, it gives an unhealthy
impression of how people actually are, there are far too many arguments
on BDF.
 
D

DesertWanderer

Active member
#9
Nov 17, 2019
366
201
43
61
New Mexico, USA
#9
Miri said:
There are people on here struggling with bereavement, health problems,
family difficulties, mental health difficulties, unemployment, old age etc etc
Click to expand...
Yes, and it is really sad that they have to find comfort and support from strangers on a forum because the big institutional churches are abandoning them.
 
M

Miri

Guest
#10
#10
DesertWanderer said:
Yes, and it is really sad that they have to find comfort and support from strangers on a forum because the big institutional churches are abandoning them.
Click to expand...
Again lots of assumptions, about local churches and about the reasons why people
come on CC.
 
M

Miri

Guest
#11
#11
Oh - why not create a thread to ask why people decided to join CC.

Or which churches they go to, get to know people a bit.
Or you could look at some of the previous threads on these subjects.
 
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