Hey all! Welcome to my second blog post! Just like my last one, I will talk about the importance of coming together as the body to be a part of what God is doing across the world! If you want an idea of what I’m talking about, go check out Intro into what will be an amazing year where I brushed on the subject of Paul being backed up by the church! Today, we will be covering my heart behind serving and missions. Enjoy!
I started serving in the church when I was ten years old. Crazy, right? I started in the preschool room and worked with kids from three to five years old, which isn’t the place many choose to go and even fewer choose to stay. Serving children is not for the faint at heart (can I get an amen?). I started in that room because my mom needed help one Sunday. Seemed simple enough. I was already saved but that there was no prompting or want to serve, at first. I actually didn’t like kids that much when I started serving and didn’t have much of a desire to be in the same room as them. But I was a good son and helped my momma (kids, take notes). Next thing I knew, I loved it. It was crazy because I didn’t really want to be there but fell in love and for some reason showed up the next week without anyone asking for my help. Who does that besides God?! Who changes a heart that quick?! I showed up for the next eight years. It wasn’t all fun and games! There was a time where I felt so unfulfilled and like I wasn’t making any sort of a difference in their lives. I mean, it is a reasonable thought. Who actually remembers their preschool church teacher? But then God started to bring back memories from my own life that caused me to rethink my view of how I was serving. He reminded me of my leader, Carl, when I was young and my absolute joy being in his small group.
I have been able to see kids grow up, fall in love with God, and start to serve him. Some even started to serve in the preschool room! How crazy is that?! God changed my heart while I served him on Sundays and he showed me his immense love for these kids and his desire to have them join his great family. Now, for the past few years, I am serving as a large group teacher for kindergarten through fifth grade! I have been able to be up on stage in crazy costumes and teach them about Jesus through a skit, I have been a pirate in our most beloved kid series called The Hope Island Pirates, I have been able to lead them in worship with our amazing kids worship team called Amped! It is where we have these upbeat, fun, songs made for their age level and add dance moves to them. We also have worship songs and get to worship to them too! The amped team is made up of kids who have a deep desire to serve God and worship him through dance and music. Also, I get to serve with my little brother, Liam, because he’s on the amped team! How awesome is that?! I have had an amazing opportunity to serve in tech for our teaching team and run the lights/bible verse slides for them as service goes on. There I am able to pray for the kids and teachers while they are learning more about Jesus!
We are all called to serve, in one way or another. Serving can be rough! I remember times where I wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep because the kids were exhausting or I didn’t feel up to being a teacher at that time. My serving hasn’t been perfect. There have been many times where I made my time on stage about me and my talents rather than God and how he wants to love those kids through me. I’m very thankful for the gift that is repentance. Think about it: the God that dwells in unapproachable light, created the universe, has millions and millions of angels shouting his praise during any given moment, lets us come back to him when we mess up and he forgives us. All because of his love and the work on the cross. Man.
I have a deep heart for missions because God has given me such a love for the suffering, for the “least of these”. I want to devote everything I can to serve people who may never had a chance to hear the gospel. I want to follow God wherever he is calling me. Whether it be in Africa or North Dakota! I want to serve and serve alongside a group of believers who feel as passionate as I do about it. Which is why I am so thankful for the people on my route! My big dream in life is to one day start a church, grow leaders and missionaries, send them out and do that over and over again. I want to see the book of Acts come alive and people surrender all they have because of the goodness of God.
This is called A Heart Called To Serve because how could I not respond to God and everything he has done for me with service to him? I spent so long just trying to take from God but not actually giving him all that I had. I’m tired of that. I’m tired of consumer christianity. I want to serve and follow God where he is leading me. Which, right now, is towards The World Race! It is so much more than just spending a month in a different country for eleven months. It is an opportunity to come together as the body and serve people who God loves deeply and wants them to be with him forever. I’d love to serve next to them in the coming kingdom. I’d love to serve next to you in the coming kingdom too! Imagine it: all of us worshiping God forever. Imagine the dancing, the celebration, the fullness of life. As my favorite author puts it, “It’s like a great vacation where the end never looms over you.” An amazing life full of worshiping the one who created life and celebration and it will never end. Ugh. I cannot wait!!! I’ll make sure to write a blog all about this in the future.
One way you can serve is to help fund my trip! By donating you are saying “God, I want to be a part of what you are doing all over the world. I want people to be impacted by who you are and the great love you have for them.” Thank you for coming alongside me in this! I love how we can come together and completely throw our trust on God and see him move in fantastic ways. Please join me in lifting my team up in prayer as we prepare for this trip!
