It’s really easy to get involved in charity these days. Drop off some canned goods, donate some clothes, write a check, and boom! You have crossed charity off your list. You are now free to move on with your life feeling good that you contributed to society.
Have you ever thought about the people on the other side of that equation?
I have. A lot. And thankfully, so has the leadership of my church. This is why we are committed to not just building a great church, but building a great city. And we started this process by listening. Listening to the people on the other side of our “charity” efforts. We sat down across the table and asked them, “what do you want for your community?” From this came Engage. A strategy to reach out to the community and help them be great.
What does that look like?
Staining pergolas for four and a half hours. Planting trees and flowers. Painting a house. Installing drywall. Cleaning up trash. Getting out into the community and helping out and working with the people in the neighborhoods.
It is about being the hands and feet of Jesus in a very practical way. Because sometimes the pergolas need stained. And sometimes someone has the tools, they just lack the manpower. Or they are tired after putting in countless hours working for their community, they need someone else to come alongside and say, “hey, we can help with that.”
The best thing is the kids at the school probably won’t notice that the pergolas are stained. They may notice the landscaping. I can bet you they will be excited about the hopscotch. But mostly, they will know that the community is cheering for them. That we see the good that can come from the broken. And that we are here to listen. To cheer. To love them. In practical, tangible ways.
