Last weekend, our church held our first “Serve Day.” Instead of the normal weekend service, we ventured into our community to serve people. A few teams painted, while others did yard work or repairs. One led a hymn-sing at a nursing home. Another made and served brunch to workers at the 911 call center. Our church has modest attendance, but we had a high participation rate across the 22 different projects.
I guarantee we won’t remember the variety of work that happened. The names and faces of those we served, though, will last a long time.
Especially John.
He’s the older man whose house we painted. I served on the team that changed the appearance of the walls and ceilings in John’s living room, den, and bathroom. In only two hours, fifteen of us completed the amount of work that typically takes me all summer to finish. Do the math if you wish, still seemed like a miracle to me. And to John.
Before you assume that our team included skilled painters who can work quickly, you should know that we had more children and students than adults.
Sure, the two 16-year olds painted a lot. Just as the four-year old stuck his hand on a wet wall and cried because he thought the paint would stay forever. His slightly older brother laughed at him as he leaned on a different freshly painted wall. The eight and nine-year olds helped their dad tape the bathroom. They also taped each other, and sang the choruses of a few classic 80’s hits remarkably well. The 10 through 15-year olds painted corners, around taped windows, and laughed at the other kids. Parents rolled (with laughter and with paint), reached the ceilings, and cleaned the brushes. Twice we were sure we had too little paint to finish. We kept going, though, with dogged determination to get the job done. We cheered when we applied the last brush strokes. John watched with amazement and with much-needed joy.
He has very limited use of his hands. After 42 years of marriage, his wife recently left him. He’s forced to sell the house he’s lived in for almost 70 years—the house his parents purchased. A retired fireman, he’s seen a lot in life. But he told me nothing compared to the chaos in his house the morning we were there. And when we all cleaned up and cleared out, he barely believed his eyes. The new paint looked great. So did his smile. He needed brighter rooms. He needed a brighter day. He loved both.
Why share all this with you? To convince you to do your own serve day? No. I realize that some churches are too big or can’t go without a weekend service because no collection would take place. Maybe I’ll tackle those excuses in a different column that focuses on faith the size of a mustard seed. Not my words, mind you. They’re from Jesus.
Instead, picture the scene I described: adults, kids, and youth, all working together. All contributing in unique ways. Functioning as one. All of us connected at the heart, collectively doing good, expecting nothing other than to know that, by serving others, we served God. Sounds a lot like church. Definitely a great lesson for the kids. For the adults, too.
That’s the point. Consider what could happen when people of all ages get together and do something real. Something really challenging that’s more than token busy work. Something worth accomplishing. Something for someone that no one serves. Something to remember.
Before this weekend, I thought we would work in lieu of attending church. Instead, we still held church—in an older man’s living room, den, and bathroom. That’s church at its best. I’ll always remember that John claimed it was a miracle that left him struggling to find words.
Maybe he’s onto something. After all, Jesus said in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
Not my words, mind you. They’re from Jesus.
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David Staal, senior editor of Today’s Children’s Ministry, serves as the president of Kids Hope USA, a national non-profit organization that partners local churches with elementary schools to provide mentors for at-risk students. Prior to this assignment, David led Promiseland, the children’s ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. David is the author of Words Kids Need to Hear (2008) and lives in Grand Haven, MI, with his wife Becky, son Scott, and daughter Erin. Interested in David speaking at your event? Click here
©2009, David Staal
