Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
My friend Emma* serves in several different ways at my church. She helps in the youth group, she sings during worship services, and she’s on a planning committee—among many other things! When she talks about her involvement in various ministries, I sometimes wonder: Should I serve more at church?
I know that being single can make you feel like you’re living on an island sometimes—like there’s no one who really “gets” you except for your cat and your Spotify playlist. You have to push yourself to do any social activities because all you really want to do is stay at home. But constantly staying at home is a really lonely existence—especially for a single girl. That’s why it’s so important to find a church that fits you and to get involved in it.
I realize that it’s almost impossible to completely avoid Halloween. Even if you personally decide not to trick-or-treat, the Halloween decorations, candy, and costumes still exist. People will still celebrate "spooky" and even evil aspects of Halloween, like witches, ghosts, and graves. However, here are a few ideas to turn an often-spooky holiday into a great ministry opportunity.
Let’s just say that the dog days of summer have begun…and it’s only June 11th. I’m definitely happy to be done with school. I’m excited for the sunshine, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying some free time. I’m excited to visit the beach, watch Hallmark movies, and cook homemade meals. But even with all the activities ahead, I know I’ll still experience feelings of boredom.
Instead of doing the right thing and choosing to be friendly to the new girl, I stood in the church pew and watched her leave the building. Sure, I felt a twinge of guilt about ignoring her. But I just didn’t feel like talking to her. It wasn’t my responsibility to be the welcoming committee. I wasn’t obligated to speak to her. At least, those were the excuses that I formulated.
Every week, she sat at the church piano and played beautiful music as the congregation sang along. She didn’t demand attention or praise, but without her, it would’ve been difficult to worship during services. For weeks, months, and years, she served faithfully. But I don’t know if she was thanked for her service.
Last month, I served for the first time ever at a food pantry. I’d helped with the behind-the-scenes work at a food pantry once, but I’d never been there while people actually got their food. In short, my experience was different than I’d expected.
Today's post was written by novel writer and blogger Aleigha C. Israel. Her thought-provoking post is an encouragement to all of us to remember whom we should ultimately desire to please in everything that we do.
Vacation Bible school (aka VBS) is something that many Christians often dread, even though they know how important it is for introducing children to the gospel. I realize that helping with VBS requires a significant amount of time and energy, but it doesn't have to be draining and discouraging. If you want to have the best VBS ever, here are five things to keep in mind.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 