Don't just GO to church, BE the church!

The doors of our home church were intentionally kept locked and all formal services cancelled last Sunday.  The reason was explained in the preceding weeks; don’t just go to church, BE the church!  We found our opportunity according to Ephesians 2:10,  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Through our ministry, we routinely find opportunities to serve, and to be the church.  One of our STARTS families had been living in a women’s shelter since September last year.  This meant that the mother and kids were given a place to stay, while the father had to “couch surf”, and worse.

A week ago they finally obtained a tiny (did I mention T-I-N-Y?) apartment.  It was empty, and they lacked practically everything.  So with our church shuttering its doors for the day, time was freed up for us to BE the church to this family.

Several other church members and YesWeServers stepped up to help move their meager belongings from storage into their apartment.  Friends donated, and we gave needed household items and furniture.  The boys had been sleeping on the floor, but thanks to a generous YesWeServer we secured a brand new bunk-bed from a certain Scandinavian big box store – and joined forces with the father of the home and one of his visiting friends to assemble the bed - with no pieces to spare! 

It was a hallowed moment when we stood together in a circle in the living-room each holding the neighbor’s hand for a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s presence to dwell in this new home, and for allowing us to BE the church.