The Service-Outside-The-Walls Challenge

By the way, it’s a bit presumptuous to assume people aren’t already serving others.

I guess I will start:

I had the privilege today of driving an elderly man to the doctor and then to his bank to have a paper notarized. Not very earth shattering, but it's a start. What about you? Can you give us an idea of how you are serving outside the four walls of your church?

I am offering a challenge to those on this forum:

I challenge you to serve at least 1 hour this week to those outside the four walls of your church. I know many of you are ushers and pastors and children's group leaders and church kitchen helpers, etc. You may think you're "too busy already." After all, you serve God's kingdom within a highly structured church organization. You're doing enough already. And what I say to that is "Bah, Humbug!" I have three businesses I'm running just to try and feed myself and my son. I also have to find time for bible study, homework and house chores. On top of that, I battle skin cancer. So as you can see, I have a million excuses also.

Here are some examples of serving outside the four walls:

1. Go to your neighbor's house (the guy or gal you haven't talked since you moved in ten years ago) and drop off a plate of homemade cookies.
2. If you're on the prayer team at your church, find out the address of one of the people you've never met on the list, and go visit them to see if your prayers are actually working. Just show up. Don't worry about "barging in on them." After all, a prayer request is really a cry for help. So go help them.
3. Find out who the people are who can't go to church any more. They're the ones who can't drive because they're too old. Or maybe they got a DUI. Or maybe they can't afford a car. Go to their house and sing some songs with them. Open your bible and read to them. Pray with them. Repeat next week.
4. Go to the nearest homeless shelter and ask, "where do you need my help." Trust me, without much fanfare, you will be put to work!
5. Take your tithe check this week, and instead of making it out to the church, make it out to that pregnant waitress you saw last week at Denny's. Put it in an inspirational card you picked out at a local christian book store and write your e-mail, phone number and address on it. Invite her to contact you.

You do NOT have to:

1. Have a commercial kitchen to bake your cookies
2. Get permission from your pastor to visit anyone.
3. Do a criminal background check on yourself
4. Take some stupid 101 class on "How To Serve"
5. Feel guilty about giving money to the poor instead of an inflated bureaucracy

Many people here on the forum will also quote the passage in which the Bible says that if you do a good deed, your left hand shouldn't know what that right is doing, and that when you give, it should be in secret, or you will lose your heavenly reward. (Matthew 6:1-4.)

I've been waiting for this type of reply to my post. And I agree with you, to a point. I agree we should not be show-boating. I think Jesus was specifically referring to those religious leaders who wanted to score points with not only the public, but with the other Pharisees. My intention here is not to score points. And I am certainly not pining for an "ataboy!"

I think I'll just let God's word explain why I feel the way I do:


Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:14-17

We as followers of Christ often use the excuse that works alone cannot save us. Therefore it's okay to just pray for someone and leave the hard work to God (or someone else). But as James aptly points out here, our works are evidence of our faith. Therefor, let's get up off our pews and get out into the real world. Let's roll up our sleeves and actively seek out those who are in need and hurting. A great place to start is all those prayer requests (which are really a cry for help). Before they get dumped into the trash, let's reach out and follow up on those hurting people. Who knows, after they stop hurting, they may be called to help us when it's our turn to hurt.

There are people on here struggling with bereavement, health problems,
family difficulties, mental health difficulties, unemployment, old age etc etc

Yes, and it is really sad that they have to find comfort and support from strangers on a forum because the big institutional churches are abandoning them.