By Jennifer Davis Rash
President and Editor-in-Chief
jrash@thealabamabaptist.org
@RashionalThts
Opportunities to serve can be as simple as sending a note of encouragement, providing a meal for a grieving family or sharing a smile and a hug with those you see today.
Serving can be done routinely through roles in our churches and preferred ministry outlets or in our places of employment, neighborhoods and children’s schools and sports teams.
We might also share the extra vegetables from our garden with neighbors or pick fresh blueberries for that busy young executive trying to balance home and work life.
Maybe we call our homebound friend when we have leftovers from a home-cooked meal and drop by to share lunch together.
We can invest in short-term missions projects in our communities and organize missions and ministry trips to help other areas in need across the nation and world — as countless Alabama Baptists have been doing this summer.
And we can look at more long-term investments such as pouring into the lives of those around us on a daily basis, the disciple making kinds of things that aren’t always simple and take much more time than we think we have to give.
The opportunities are always available and sometimes even overwhelming. Some seasons in life will allow you to do more than others so don’t feel guilty when you must limit your activities, but do take advantage of the times you can do more.
If we all make acts of service a priority even during the seasons of limited time and resources, then all actions — no matter how small — will make a major difference in some way or another.
And if we all focus on what God is calling each of us to do rather than being tempted to push others to do what we think they should do, then the acts of service will provide a more quality and fulfilling result.
We certainly should share opportunities to serve and recruit others to help but we should be careful not to pressure.
There are many good things to do so we must be careful to prayerfully select only the best.
After all if we spend all our energy doing all the things everyone else wants us to do then we might not be able to fulfill what we are truly called to do.
When it comes to missions and ministry experiences, churches and associations make it easy for individuals and families to participate without having to figure out the logistics.
We would love to hear about your church and/or association’s experiences this summer. Send us the details and a photo or two to news@thealabamabaptist.org.
If you are looking for ideas on short-term missions opportunities be sure to contact the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and/or Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) at 1-800-264-1225 for suggestions.
The articles on the border crisis on pages 6 and 7 also have suggestions for ways to make a difference in that area. And consider national WMU’s WorldCrafts fair trade artisan support ministry for some of your upcoming Christmas shopping — www.worldcrafts.org.
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