Impacting our World

A recent submission to the servolution website said this:

It was my family whose house was almost totally renovated with the help from a lot of people at church. I am so thankful for all the help we received to help get my house ready to move into. The love that was shown was absolutely amazing just like God's love. Thank you so much for all your help. I really appreciate it and getting to know so many more people from our church community.

This kind of service for others is part of our witness to the world. Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35).

Another website submission said this:

The greatest act of kindness was that a special family at Emmanuel helped me send my daughter to Fall retreat where I know that is the greatest place she should be.
Thank-you

...and another:

The person in front of me paid for my Tim Horton's coffee..
I just wanted to say thank you.

After experiencing the love of Christ in such a simple way, this person came to the servolution website and had the opportunity to hear about Christ's love, perhaps for the first time. As a previous story illustrated for us, God is already at work all around us, and we simply need to be receptive and willing to respond with love.

How have you experienced or demonstrated the love of Christ? We'd love to hear your story. Comment here, or anonymously here, or email servolution.

Seeds

This is a true story.

A couple were out for a walk along the city's waterfront, when they came across a young lady who was looking for her keys. They continued walking, keeping a close eye out for the lost keys.

The gentleman then suggested that they offer the young lady a ride home so that she could get her spare keys.

The young lady wasn't sure where her spare keys might be, so it could take some time to find them while they wait for her.

That's fine, they said... But they did need to get to their Bible study on time!
The young lady asked what church the couple went to, and when they told her, she said that she had some friends who had gone to that church to take the Alpha course. She was also interested in attending Alpha, and she had been reading her Bible.

Isn't it interesting how God can use us through a simple act of kindness? God was already at work in this young woman's life. The Christian couple, aware of and receptive to the opportunity to respond to a simple need in a simple way, were in the right place to plant--or perhaps, to water--a seed.

Evidence

What is the mark of a follower of Christ?
Sometimes we over think the answer, don't we? It's easy to list our beliefs, or a set of doctrinal statements, or point to a decision that we made sometime in the past. But what is the evidence that shows that we are Christ-followers?
It's very simple, isn't it? Jesus said this:

If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit... (John 15:5 NIV).

There has to be some kind of evidence that our faith is real. Jesus says we're like a tree (or a vine), and that we are known by our fruit (see also Matthew 7:15-23). Jesus teaches very clearly that the fruit grows out of obedience to him.

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love... My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:9-13).

Living a life marked by love for others is the evidence of our faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament even tells us to be intentional about living that way. Read and reflect on the words of Peter in 2 Peter 1:3-11. How do we become "effective and productive" Christ-followers?

Current Service Opportunities

Servolution wishes to respond to needs in our communities by providing connections between the needs and people with the resources to respond to those needs.

Here are some current, and some urgent, needs... Please consider how you can use your time or resources to demonstrate the love of Christ. Here are some of the current needs:

1. A donation of a crib for a client of the Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre;
2. People of all ages to visit with the elderly for a group visitation & hymn sing this Friday, October 23rd (it's a school holiday!) from 2:30-3:30 pm;
3. Winter clothing donations for street outreach to those in need -- bring your donations of gently used Coats, Hats, Mitts, Gloves, Boots etc, in Children's and Adult sizes, to Emmanuel Barrie on October 25th or November 1st;
4. Volunteer once per month (just a couple of hours) with Barrie Out of the Cold. Plan to attend their Volunteer Orientation and Recruitment meeting at the Christian Reformed Church on Shirley Avenue (between Anne Street and Sunnidale Road, Barrie) on Saturday, October 31st, 9:00-11:00 am. Check out the volunteer vacancy chart here;
5. Continue to look for ways to demonstrate the love of Christ daily through simple acts of kindness... Leave a servolution card to point people to the good news on the website!
6. The Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre needs volunteers -- see below:

The Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre is a Christian organization that needs volunteers: The PRC is a

non-profit organization offering compassionate support and assistance to anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy or experiencing post-abortion stress. The centre receives no government support, but is funded by churches, individuals, and businesses. This support allows us to offer valuable services at no cost to our clients.

Here are some ways to get involved with the Barrie Pregnancy Resource Centre:

1. Help with the annual Dads 'n' Daughters Fundraiser event: Donate to the silent auction, decorate, serve food, set-up and tear-down... and plan to attend. Planning for this event is happening now, so please don't hesitate to volunteer. Dads 'n' Daughters (8 and up) will be hosted by Emmanuel Barrie in February;
2. Volunteers are need to work at the Centre;
3. The Centre has an ongoing need for a person with fundraising experience.

For contact information for any of the needs listed above, please contact servolution@emmanuelbarrie.org

Thanksgiving. That special time of year when we reflect on everything that we are thankful for.

What were you thankful for this year? Family? Health? Prosperity?

We're usually pretty quick at thanking God for what we have, for what He's blessed us with. But does He really bless us with comfort, with material things, and with affluence, for our own contentment and happiness? Does God reward us for our "good stewardship" in this life? It's easy to say that He does, like many of us have been taught or have always simply taken for granted.

Consider, however, what Paul said to the Corinthian church:

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV)

As we share with others, this passage says (vs 6-9) that God will bless us so that we can share with others even more. God doesn't bless us materially for our own benefit or as a reward for our good works... He blesses us so that we might bless others even more. And we thank Him for our ability to do so by doing so!

As the Message says, "You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone" (vs 12-15).

Servolution Success Stories!

Here's what some people have been telling servolution:

• someone helped a person move (last minute);
• someone fixed a person's car;
• a man is helping a lady with some maintenance and upgrades in her basement, while his family visits with her;
• a mechanic went and helped a single mom look at a used vehicle... for free!
• a family sponsored another woman's daughter to go to camp;
• a man bought something to eat, and brought it to a person he had just met in the hospital;
• people have emailed, and expressed their thanks for being served!
• a group that meets for coffee and a devotional time asked how to get involved;
• someone had been served, and asked for servolution cards to hand out when serving others!
• a person expressed how much joy they experienced by serving others!
• people from another church have stepped forward to ask how to spread servolution!
• an elderly lady used her talent to bring some joy to a retirement home through the gift of music;
• and more...

How are you serving? How are you sharing the love of Christ? How are you becoming a servant to many for the sake of the Gospel message (1 Corinthians 9:19)?

A Firm Foundation

What comes to mind when you hear Jesus' words about the wise and foolish builders? (Matthew 7:24-27).

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

What is like the wise man? Is the foundation belief in Jesus? Or is there more? Jesus said, "everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice".

It's not just belief. It's obedience. It's living by the Kingdom principles outlined by Jesus that ends with this story of the wise and foolish builders. It's not just belief in Jesus... it's living for Jesus. It's living with the compassion that is the currency of the Kingdom. It's living out Jesus' words.

Ideas on a Rainy Day

Today would be a great way to stop and offer someone a lift if you see them walking down your street or waiting at a bus stop.

Don't forget the Thanksgiving Food Drive! Why not ask your neighbours if you can pick up their donations from them?

Have you thought about Hallowe'en? Why not pack little gift bags, and instead of collecting candy, go door-to-door and hand them out at houses in your neighbourhood just to share God's love for people?

Working a midnight shift on the weekend is no fun at all! Why not bring some coffee and muffins to an Emergency Room near you just to share God's love with the staff?

Wouldn't it be nice to discover that there were soda's in the pop-machine dispenser that someone had already paid for and left there? You could leave 2 or 3 of them there with a servolution card attached to each can with an elastic band!

It's fun to pay for the drive-thru order for the car behind you, and leave a servolution card with the cashier!

It's almost time to start raking those leaves... Have you thought about who you could bless this fall?

Can you come up with some more ideas...?