The Diaconate is launching Summer Serve 2022 at the request of our pastors. As you may know, there are individuals and families at URC carrying a burden, or who have challenges (great or small), who may need help around the house, or a ride to an appointment, a meal, or who would to love a visit from a friend, or maybe would like to have a friend! Let’s take these remaining weeks of summer to consider ways to “stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24,25).
We are encouraged by our Lord Jesus, in John 13, to serve each other as he has served us, and are challenged by the Apostle Paul in Titus 2 to be “zealous for good works”. So we are encouraging each family or individual at URC to WATCH, PRAY, and ACT. WATCH (look for an individual or family in need), PRAY (ask the Lord for wisdom on how to proceed) and then ACT (take initiative and “just do something”). Consider serving a need that has an internal (URC) focus as well as an external (outside of URC) focus.
Here are some examples of ways you and/or your family can be a summer encourager:
Internal Focus (within URC congregation):
- Provide respite care for a couple or family w/ special needs adult
- Help around the house with: yard work, laundry, housecleaning, or a simple home project.
- Take initiative to meet someone new to you at church! Follow-up to meet them for coffee, invite them to your home, introduce them to others.
- Provide transportation to someone who needs it.
- Take a meal to a family who would be blessed by this.
- Provide childcare for a couple who need a break (NOTE: babysitting/childcare must be arranged directly with a family by someone who is known to them.)
- Send an encouragement note and/or a care package to a URC missionary.
- Mobilize your growth group to serve someone in need.
- Volunteer with URC’s VBS! Contact Katie Middlestead: kmiddlestead@
urcstaff.org
External Focus (outside of URC congregational needs):
- City Rescue Mission. Examples: Food service, Women’s and Children’s shelter Men’s Shelter, Thrift Store - Contact: Phone: 517 485 0145, See website: bearescuer.org
- Shared pregnancy. Examples: Sort and organize donations - Contact Jill at [email protected].
- International Students at MSU or LCC. Examples: excursions, meet for meals, help with moving, ESL help - Contact: Nick Setterington, email: [email protected]
- Serving your neighbors. Examples: help with yard work, invite to a back-yard picnic, take a meal, etc.
Summer Serve Form: The URC Diaconate encourages you to pursue these service opportunities on your own, directly with the individuals and/or organizations in need. However, if assistance is desired for connecting with those in need OR to request assistance with a need, the insert in the Sunday bulletin is for this purpose (or use the electronic version on the URC website). A Diaconate member will respond to these requests for help with connections to those in need, though this may be at a future time, beyond this summer.
Even if you have plenty of ideas of ways you can serve this summer, we would be HAPPY for you to complete the Summer Serve Form in order to expand the list of individuals in our congregation who the Diaconate can call on as various needs come to our attention in the future. We encourage husbands and wives to submit separate forms as you may have different ways you would like to serve.
Please WATCH for opportunities to serve, PRAY for how to get involved. And then ACT, just do something, to the glory of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
