Our church has been involved in serving our city and surrounding regions in practical ways for some time, including beach clean-ups, playground restoration and building a public toilet for a near-by village.  Why do these things?  Our vision statement for serving the city is below:

As we enjoy the free grace and love that Jesus shows us, this births in us a desire to share that grace and love freely. ("freely you have received, freely give." Mt. 10:8)  In allowing that grace to not only strike our hearts but to be reflected through our lives and joining in His work to bless others, our enjoyment of Jesus is multiplied.

God came and gave grace to us who were undeserving and ill-deserving.  He did this at great cost to Himself.  In serving others who have not asked for or earned it, and at our own cost (of time, talent and treasure), we not only recognize this grace of God but image it to others as well.  God "makes the rain to fall on the just and unjust." (Mt. 5:45)  In this active thanks for His grace, we are further rooted in it, as where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.

Through these projects, we seek to live in love in a way that is received as such by those we serve.  The most loving thing we could do for a person is to share the gospel with him.  However, if he is not open, he will see it as us just trying to cram our opinion down his throat.  If we show our love in a tangible way, it will give such a person cause to ask why.  Scripture itself says, "let us not love only in word and tongue, but in deed and truth." (I Jn. 3:18)

The culmination and goal of these community service projects is to reach the world.  These projects are an outworking of our own delight in Jesus, in manifestations of grace and tangible acts of love.  They are one way we seek to reach the world with the Gospel.  These projects by themselves will not preach the Gospel.  However, they are a powerful witness, that we as Christians have a truly self-sacrificial love for others and desire the good of those even who reject us.  Our hope is that these projects will be compelling as a manifestation of the reality of the Gospel and that they’ll open doors to share of the One who is the true Servant. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mt. 5:16)