Wisdom for Today: Self or Service

“Those who are gracious to the poor lend to the LORD, and the Lord will full repay them.”

-Proverbs 19:17 CEB

“Those who give generously receive more, but those who are stingy with what is appropriate will grow needy.”

-Proverbs 11:24 CEB

“Generous persons will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

-Proverbs 11:25 CEB

Every single person I know who has ever been involved consistently in serving others can’t stop it. If I could tell you the number of times a Peggy Stapp or Barrie Heres or Jim Kiser or others within Creekwood have told me, “I just need a break,” “I can’t do this anymore,” or “I have some other things to focus on,” two weeks before I see them signing up to help in a new way.

It’s addicting in all the best ways.

Giving and serving release a hormone called “Dopamine” at higher rates than when we receive or buy for ourselves. Dopamine is a stimulant and motivator. It makes us feel good, and therefore we crave that experience again. It flows when we eat chocolate, go to a sporting event that is exciting, or dance the night away – but not as potently as when we serve or give for a cause greater than ourselves.

It’s almost like God designed us this way?

Connected with dopamine, “Serotonin” is also released, which is a calming hormone associated with good sleep and good mental health. So, not only are we stimulated and motivated by helping others…but we’re healthier. And, not to stop there, as we serve consistently we release “Oxytocin” which is a bonding chemical – meaning…

We Just Can’t Stop Serving! It’s Just Too Good!!!

If Proverbs is about wisdom vs. foolishness, and I presented you with all of these medical benefits to serving…what’s the wise choice?

Philippians 2:4 tells us, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others,” before it goes on to describe how the very mind of Christ is that of service and generosity.

Now, here’s where I give you an opportunity to better yourself while bettering our community…and why I put an Open Door logo at the top of this e-mail.

OPEN DOOR IS GROWING!

The Open Door Leadership Team is taking a leap of faith to add an extra night of Open Door each month, starting in September. Open Door will now take place on the 1st Thursday of every month AND the 3rd Tuesday of every month.

Why are they doing this?

Because Open Door fills up every month, and there is a wait list for guests to come. Due to the nature of the work Open Door is doing, and our reliance upon a healthy volunteer to guest ratio, we’ve had to cap the attendance for safety and success. But, with a name like “Open Door” and a scripture citation of Matthew 7:7, it’s in our nature to want to throw the doors open. Adding another night will help accomplish this, with steps being taken to make each night safe and not overwhelming to volunteers.

Shouldn’t we wait until we already have the volunteers for this before we start it?

Open Door already has a volunteer roster of close to 80 adults and students who make it happen, with not every volunteer able to make it every month. However, if we waited until everything was perfect to throw open the doors of the church, none of us would be here. In fact, if the apostles had waited for everything to be perfect before welcoming people, we certainly would have never made it to this point.

About 15 years ago I heard an inspiring speech called “Windows or Doors,” in which the speaker explained how most churches have windows that they look out and lament, “I wish we could reach those people,” while churches that are doing the work of Christ throw open the doors so that we actually can reach those people.

With a name like Open Door, you can imagine which type of church we want to be.

How can you help?

We need people to take a leap of faith to help on this new night, the 3rd Tuesday of every month. We do not want to burn out the existing volunteer team, so we have faith that you who are reading this e-mail will explore the possibility of coming to make a difference in the lives of those adults with special needs in our community and their families. As I mentioned, there is a wait list because the need is so great, and we have been called by God to throw open the doors with love.

Training and Interest

All volunteers must attend a training on August 22, 6:30-7:30pm, especially new volunteers. There is a zoom training for existing volunteers at a later time, that we can make exceptions for if August 22 absolutely doesn’t work, but we prefer that you make August 22 a priority.

Please fill out this Volunteer Survey to let the planning team know when and how you are interested in serving. There are serving opportunities ranging from security to food service to hanging out with guests to helping with media/sound.

Thank you for being a congregation that serves and gives. Please also do not forget about our School Supply Drive and our normal generosity of giving to the ministries of Creekwood.