One question that I frequently answer, especially when we do a serving event like Relay for Life is simply “How do you do that”? What I’ve learned is that what the questioner actually means by “How do you do that”? is actually How do you pay for that?…How do you get church people to volunteer for that?…How do you get approval from all the necessary committees in your church to do something like that? :-) (Seriously…sometimes they ask that!)
It’s a valid question when you consider that a small church of only a few hundred people is blessed to be able to provide some pretty significant service to people dealing with cancer in our community each year. This year at Relay for Life (June 21-22) we will provide: a sit-down full-service dinner to 400 cancer survivors and caretakers, and just a few sleepless hours later we’ll provide a hot breakfast for EVERYONE at the event. We’ll also provide free shaved ice during the event to keep people cooled down and properly infused with sugar, and a free coffee stand during the night to make sure they are warmed and filled with the proper levels of caffiene needed for a twenty-four hour event. actionchurch volunteers will also staff a children’s area stocked with bounce houses and games provided by our church and somewhere in the midst (I almost forgot) we’re also providing free popcorn to make sure that everyone has something stuck between their teeth during a twenty four event with very little time for flossing. All told, this single event will take well over 100 volunteers and many thousands of dollars in food …along with countless thousands of dollars in equipment and supplies.
So, how do we do it? How do we raise the money? How do we gather the supplies and food WITHOUT asking for donations from outside businesses and organizations? It’s simple actually. It’s the same reason that there are piles of free-for-the-taking Maple donuts on a table EVERY Sunday morning. It’s the same reason when you come to church at Frank Theaters there are greeters at the front door, smiling volunteers ready to teach your children, signs ready to direct you, and thousands of pounds of audio and video equipment ready to make learning from scripture understandable and visually captivating. It’s the reason everything you’ve EVER experienced at an actionchurch service is possible…
It was all brought to you by…here’s the secret source…countless people who gave their money, their talents, and their energy to make ALL of this possible. NAMELESS people without whom NONE of this would be possible!
I just wanted to take a few moments to thank ALL of you…NAMELESS people who are making quite a name for JESUS in York County and beyond! Thanks for loving God, loving people, and tirelessly and generously taking action!