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Grace Cares
“building bridges between people in need and people who care.”
Mission Statement
We have a built in desire from God urging us to help people and, as Christians, we are also guided by scripture. This passage from 1 John states it pretty clearly.
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1John 3:17-18
Here at Grace Cares, it is our mission to put into practice the things that we are asked to do as Christians by loving our neighbors and taking care of the people around us, not in words, but in actions.
What are the challenges?
Our church is a generous and caring church, but we are very busy with school, work, exercise and raising our children pressing us on all sides. Also, we live in an area where we may not see people who are obviously in need every day.
What is our goal?
Grace Cares seeks to connect people who have a need with people who have a heart to help them. We try to provide opportunities in an organized and coordinated way. We want to make people feel loved and cared for on the one hand and helpful and meaningful on the other.
How do we go about it?
We have set up teams of people to serve each need that has come up. Each team is headed by a leader that links the people in their team with the need they wish to serve and the means to deliver it.
For instance, if your desire was to help a single mom of limited means during the holidays you might help divide the food that we collect for Thanksgiving Baskets or Christmas Gifts of Joy or you might choose to actually deliver food baskets to a thankful mom. You might have the ability and the desire to help her with handyman tasks like fixing a leaking faucet or installing a lock with our Care & Repair Ministry. If you possess the skill to balance a checkbook you may want to help her get her finances in order in our Money Sense Ministry or help her get back on her feet working in the Benevolence team. Through the efforts of many people each filling a small piece of the need we can make a real difference in that mother’s life and that of her children.
Many opportunities
This is just one example of a need and there are many others like elderly people who would need the same kinds of help or a visit the sick with the Crisis Care Ministry. Or perhaps you would like to visit a homeless shelter with our Grace to the Homeless Ministry and pray for those that desperately need God in their lives or serve them in another way. There are plenty of opportunities all you need is the desire and we will help you plug in to the ministry that fills the need that draws your heart.
...and just so there is no confusion
The question of service is often mixed up with getting to heaven, for instance, people sometimes think that if they lead a good life and serve others (as Jesus did and asked us to do) that they will go to Heaven. A good example that is often brought up is Mother Theresa who served the poor and dying in Calcutta for most of her life. People say “Well, if anyone is in Heaven then she is” and she probably is, but her selfless and caring life did not get her there. God tells us through the Bible exactly how people get to Heaven very clearly and many times. You can’t earn it your way in, it’s a gift!
If you want to serve your fellow human being and make a difference in someone’s life you can here at Grace Cares!
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