Finding the Joy in Service

It’s always a special thing when people have looked after you well. If you have enjoyed a meal out or been lucky enough to stay a night away, it’s a special thing when you see how much people have tried to make your experience memorable.

When volunteers do something like this, for me it takes it up another notch. It makes me wonder about their organisation and why they do what they do.

For the past 3 months our daughter, Lucy, has started to attend a group for children with disabilities and their parents called the Hub. It runs in Holywood Baptist church, and the leader is a former teacher of Lucy’s from her wonderful school, Torbank.

The activity lasts for 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon once a month. When we drop Lucy into the hall, we are sent upstairs to what seems like a youth hall. There is a lovely couple there who look after the parents in an amazing way. They make tea and coffee and there are biscuits. We meet lots of other parents we know from school and it’s a safe space to talk about all the challenges that can go on with our children. Whether its sleep deficiency, behavioural issues, medication we all share our stories and experiences. Sometimes people share information about activities or events that are coming up that might be suitable for our children.

Last Saturday these two volunteers had made sausage rolls and traybakes for all the parents. As they joined in the conversation it emerged that their church has a system to welcome new people or those who live on their own. On a few Sundays throughout the year members of the congregation sign up to welcome one, two or up to 6 people for Sunday lunch. This couple who were welcoming us so warmly on Saturday afternoon were having three people to lunch the next day.

The ministry of hospitality is a very special ministry to speak in a very practical and tangible way of God’s love without necessarily using words. In the youth hall upstairs they sometimes invite us to paly table tennis or pool or pickleball while our children are involved in activities downstairs.

It was heartwarming when we made our way downstairs to collect our children at 4pm to see the crafts they had made, the big smiles on everyone’s faces and the sense of joy that filled the room.

One of the volunteers took me by the hand and told me to look at all those smiling faces. She spoke of how much fun they had all had and how uch she loved working with the children and having the opportunity to speak with them about the love of God. She wondered could you have a more perfect Saturday afternoon?

I noticed on a notice board some details about what was happening in December in this church. Food and fellowship seemed to play a prominent role.

There were lunches for senior citizens, there was a men’s breakfast. There was a farewell for one of the church leaders who must have been either retiring or moving away to work somewhere else. They were running a special evening for children explaining the meaning of Christmas and were trying to arrange a time so that our children with special needs might be able to come and participate. Last Christmas they completely transformed the church auditorium and made it into Bethlehem. Member of the congregation dressed up as shepherds, wise men, Mary and Joseph, there were lots of multisensory lights and artificial snow.

It was a beautiful invitation again by the church to invite these children from the local special school to come and participate in the Christmas story.

What’s striking to me as someone who spends a lot of time in church and observes wonderful activities in my own church is just how powerful it is when God’s people offer hospitality and welcome.

It touches something very deep when you go to an  event and come away feeling blessed and loved and cared for. That this church has succeeded in building such community after 3 events speaks volumes of their desire to serve and love God and love their neighbours as themselves.

Can we ask you to hold in your prayers the Robinson Family as Mark’s mum is laid to rest on Thursday after a service in the funeral home of Stephen McCosh at 248-250 Newtownards Road. Can we also remember the family of Elizabeth Kells whose funeral service will take place next Tuesday 2nd December at 11.15 am in the church.

Don’t forget our Advent Carol Service this Sunday evening at 7.00 pm, or the opportunity to come and pray for healing in the lives of those we care about on Sunday morning at 11.00 am.

You would be so welcome to worship with us.

Much love to everyone,

Jono.

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