by Mandy Cooley

In Pastor Steve’s first sermon in the W+2 series, entitled “In-Gaged,” (August 21/22), we were faced with the reminder that volunteering is not just about signing up to do some work around the church; rather it’s about finding ways to grow spiritually – going beyond the services and really plugging into a ministry based on the talents and passions God has given us (our SHAPE). 

Our family has attended Northview Church for nearly five years now, and it wasn’t until Adventure Week 2009 that I really began to understand how this type of spiritual growth can impact our family.

The morning of the first day of AW last year, my husband called me about 9:30 a.m. and told me that he had just lost his job. While we had a suspicion this may happen, we were not prepared for the emotional flood that began to rise in each of us as individuals and around our family.

The last thing either of us wanted to do was head over to Northview Church that night, but I had committed to leading a small group and wasn’t comfortable backing out; so I asked my husband to join me. While he wasn’t particularly interested either, he went with me as it was “better than being home alone.”

For the next four nights, we got to know 15 preschoolers through games, Bible lessons, crafts, and, most significantly, worship times that transformed our hearts. We gained perspective on our situation and felt hope that I know was a result of getting out of our lives’ circumstances and focusing on showing God’s love to those sweet little ones.

That week was a catalyst for my service in Studio 6.7, where I serve as a Team Leader for the 11 a.m. service in the youngest Early Childhood classrooms. However, in the past few months my passion for writing has been rekindled, and I was thrilled to find a chance to contribute to the Northview Church blog through the Volunteer Expo set up after the “In-Gaged” service.

With over 45 areas of service highlighted, it was easy for me to skim over the various ministries and find a place to plug in my passions! http://northviewchurch.us/volunteer

Since that week in the summer of 2009, I have continued to see the impact serving makes on my walk with Jesus. So often I hear people talk about “making time” to serve or get more involved or do something that is important in their lives.

 Each day we are all given the same 24 hours, and I have learned that I cannot make those minutes stretch any further. We must “take time” for serving, for growing, and for seeing how God can show up in our lives when we show up for Him.