Feeding For Christ
If you were around at Christmas then you know Pine Valley United Methodist Church was a busy, busy place! There were opportunities for everyone to serve and show the love of Jesus! If you had your television on you know that PVUMC was preparing meals for their annual community outreach. It was the interview with the pastor in skinny jeans!
So many great things came from this outreach mission. Many of the things are obvious like bringing in the unchurched, serving others, showing the love of Jesus, and the list goes on. PVUMC was connecting hearts to Christ and one another! This is what Jesus calls us to do. Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
So many people had the opportunity to serve. And so many people did serve! We had people praying for this ministry and those that it reached. People donated toiletries, blankets, gloves and hats. Children made cards to be delivered with meals. Hams and homemade desserts were donated. Volunteers were cooking in the kitchen from December 20th through the 24th! Volunteers delivered meals! Volunteers set up and decorated for the Christmas Eve dinner! Volunteers helped serve! Volunteers helped clean up! Volunteers helped with the five Christmas Eve services and volunteers kept the nurseries! I know God was so pleased with the outpouring of love by all of these servants. But I have heard the comments from the servants and they were blessed by serving. Luke 11:28, “He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’”
What makes you feel so good about this is that we know salvation is a free gift of God, and we cannot do anything to merit it. Serving flows from a heart of gratitude for the grace we have received from God. Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” There has been much talk about all of the youth serving! What a great witness seeing them have fun while serving! One man got there early Christmas Eve before the food was ready. Mrs. Shirley apologized that the food was not ready yet and he said he just wanted to sit and watch. He loved watching the ministry taking place! 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Let me show you how God blessed this outreach mission! Knowing the cost of these events the church appropriately budgeted for it. Due to the outpouring of love through financial gifts we did not have to use the budgeted amount! Now we can use it for other opportunities to reach out! This was truly God’s outreach mission using our hands and feet! Proverbs 14:23, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” And everyone was blessed by the mission! Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
As we continue into 2020, let us remember to serve one another! Galatians 5:13, “...serve one another humbly in love.” Because we know we do not have to earn God’s favor with our works, we can pour our energy, time, skill and creativity into blessing others. Let’s continue to connect hearts to Christ and one another!