Each week we feature a member/story on the cover of our bulletins to demonstrate how and where we see God at work among us transforming lives as we study and serve.

March 7, 2010

Are you too busy?

As Christians, we’re called to serve through being in relationship with others—specifically the poor, the orphaned and widowed. Unfortunately, we often allow the busyness of life to prevent us from doing this. In the video you will view this morning, Marlon Brown says,

“I think busy is most likely to be viewed as a legitimate excuse for not engaging… ‘got a wife, got a job, got kids, got soccer, got baseball. I really have a lot of legitimate activities. When do I have time to engage those people?’ You know even if they’re not sins, they’re weights—and those weights hold us down and prevent us from what we should be doing—and that’s engaging those people. We’re too busy.”

If you feel challenged to use your passion and gifts to build relationships with people, here are a few ways for you to live out the Gospel in this manner.

Mentoring Opportunities: Share your life and your stories with someone who can learn and grow from you. Currently, we have opportunities to mentor adult men through the Memphis Union Mission transitional house and youth through Eikon and other urban youth ministries.

“Adopting” Refugee Families (through Christ Community Ministries): Did you know that nearly 200 refugee families will arrive in Memphis this year? Teams of volunteers are needed to introduce newly arrived refugees to life in Memphis during the course of three months. Volunteers commit two-four hours/ week walking with refugees through the practical needs of daily life, such as grocery shopping and public transportation. These shared experiences can foster relationships across cultures, benefiting both refugees and volunteers.

ESL Instructors: The Refugee Empowerment Program needs people to teach and assist their English as Second Language (ESL) classes to adult refugees. They need instructors on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-7 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Volunteers also needed to keep the nursery while parents are in class.

Teach Computer Literacy Classes: The Refugee Empowerment Program is in need of individuals to lead computer literacy classes weekly for a six-month term for adult refugee ESL students. Classes offered Monday–Thursday, 5:30-7 p.m. No prior experience necessary.

>>Meet the needs of one person. Contact the Missions office, 261-4386, for more on how to engage in one of these ministries.