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"Ways
to Serve"
Following
is a special list of service opportunities from
our 2009 series "In Search of Authentic Thanksgiving." |
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“If you are serious about wanting to be certain that you will
enter this Thanksgiving and Advent season with a spirit of authentic
thanksgiving, find a way to give… to serve… to care for someone
else. I would encourage you to allow this simple list to be your
spring board to creative and purposeful ways to serve.” – Pastor
Jim
Our
Families
Prepare a special family meal together.
Do something practical around the house to serve
another member of your family.
Do a family Bible study/devotion time together.
Spend some family time together with as few distractions
(such as texting, cell phones, etc.) as possible.
Go on an extended family outing or vacation together.
Apologize/reconcile with a family member or friend. |
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Our
Friends
Pray with a friend.
Have a friend join you on a special activity that
you love.
Have a meal with a friend.
Connect with a friend (phone, email, text, facebook,
etc.)
Help a friend in a significant way. |
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Our
Church
Write a letter or email of appreciation or do
something special for an “unsung” servant in the
ministries of the church.
Help beautify the church by coming and doing a
special project.
Make a meal or offer to help out with house work
or yard work for one of our elderly folks.
Take a “test drive” in one of the following ministries
where we need help right now:
Children’s Ministries…
Ushers/Greeters (male or female, young or old…really!)
Stage Hands for Worship Ministries…
Our church kitchen needs some tender loving care…
Church Social Ministries (event organization,
set up and clean up…)
Ask any staff member or
call the church office for more specifics.
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Our
Communities
Participate in our “First Fruits” Sunday food collection
for Santa Ana First’s food pantry.
Contribute supplies/time to a food bank or shelter
in our communities (such as Costa Mesa Lighthouse
Nazarene Church, Sheepfold [thesheepfold.org],
OC Rescue Mission [rescuemission.org],
etc.)
Distribute flyers to our surrounding community for
our new Hispanic Ministry.
Become an active part of a community organization
that is not directly connected with church but serves
our communities in positive ways (such as PTA, service
clubs, community cleanup, graffiti cleanup, beach
cleanup [Orange
County Volunteer Opportunities ], etc.) |
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Our
World
Participate in our Faith Promise outreach that ministers
and serves people around the world.
Consider sponsoring a child in another part of the
world through organizations such as Nazarene Compassionate
Ministries [ncm.org],
World Vision [worldvision.org],
etc.
Contribute to the Marine Toys for Tots, Salvation
Army, Christmas Child, and other organizations that
care for the less fortunate.
Consider investing small amounts of money ($25 or
more) in micro credit organizations (such as Kiva
[kiva.org]) that
help people in developing countries around the world
start their own businesses.
Learn about and find ways of participating in global
anti-poverty and human rights organizations such
as Results International [resultssocal.org],
Invisible Children [invisiblechildren.com],
Bead for Life [beadforlife.org],
One [one.org],
etc. |
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Whoever receives and accepts and welcomes
one little child like this for My sake and in
My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.
(Matthew 18:5 Amplified) |
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