Great Day of Service

Yesterday was one completely amazing day and a dream come true.

Years ago, folks from Montgomery First and Frazer had the idea that the two churches' Great Days of Service created a lot of duplication, and the two could learn from each other if they worked together. Furthermore, we thought that if the city's Methodist churches had one big day for Great Day of Service, then smaller churches that couldn't pull off a big event on their own could join a larger effort.

Two years ago, Frazer, First, and Aldersgate had a wonderful time with Great Day of Service on the same day. Last year, more than a dozen churches in Montgomery had a city-wide event. This year, Great Day of Service expanded throughout the River Region and Wetumpka and Prattville/Millbrook added events.

There's no way to really know how many churches, projects, and people served Jesus in the community yesterday (and in projects immediately before and after). A very conservative estimate would be 20 congregations, 60 projects, and 2,500 people. We would be better Methodists if we counted heads better, but these things get so unruly that it's just better to put the energy into serving rather than statistics.

Only God can measure what he has done with the enumerable human contacts that came from this event. Tim Thompson shared at the Biscuits celebration event that last year a woman came to a free eye clinic and was referred to a doctor who found a brain tumor. The tumor was removed and the lady came back to the clinic this year. I never really imagined that Great Day of Service would save a life in such a literal way. This year, Wetumpka area churches, Prattville area churches, and Aldersgate had Stop Hunger Now Projects. Stop Hunger Now packages dehydrated meals to send to people in extreme poverty in places where people are starving. Each of our projects sent tens of thousands of meals to people whose lives are in danger due to malnutrition. Every time I even think of what this day means to those who will receive these meals, I get very emotional.

There are lots of bad things in the world and we hear about them every day. I'm so grateful that the people called Methodist have figured out a way to lock arms and do something to make a difference. The ripples of the day continue throughout the year--the work of the ministries impacted by the day is greatly advanced for their daily functioning and the people who serve become much more likely to serve all year long.

This past year, I've had to become much less involved in the planning of the day. I'm so grateful for people like Frazer's Butch McPherson, Aldersgate's Dave McKinney, Trinity Weoka's Ashley Davis, and many others who have stepped up and done so much to expand the work.

The past few years I've been blessed to tour around the city and see what happens at many project sites. This year, I went to Nellie Burge, where Montgomery First folks were getting the facility ready for the August launch of Mary Ellen's Hearth, a long-term shelter for homeless women and children. I went to the Stop Hunger Now Projects at Aldersgate and Wetumpka. I also saw folks at Aldersgate packaging shoes for people in need. I opened up at Cloverdale School, where folks got space ready for Bill Campbell's furniture ministry to find a new home, laid carpet for nurseries in the building, and set up a lounge for shared space among non-profits that are incubated there. I went to Montgomery First's fellowship hall, where folks were assembling thousands of things like health kits for disaster victims and sanitary kits for the homeless. I spent some time with ladies who were making dresses for Sew and Grow. I joined a hamburger/hotdog cookout at the Salvation Army (over 200 were served by a Frazer Sunday School class). I also made it to our Habitat for Humanity house, where Brandon, the teenage son ofof homeowner Carla Surles, was busy investing sweat equity on the roof of his mother's new home. That's just a sample. Only God got to see it all.

Thank you to everyone who prayed, and paid, and worked, and planned. Now it's time to get started on Great Day of Service 2013!