There is an oft-repeated question used among church leaders. It’s used at conferences and ministry gatherings. It’s intended to provoke people to action and spur pastors to greater vision. Some resist it. Some embrace it. But, few deny the truth within it. It has many forms, but this is its most common and most alarming one:

“If you and your church were to disappear off the face of the earth tomorrow, would anyone in the community around you notice you were gone?”

My answer to that question is unequivocally, yes!

If you’ve been around Mariners for any length of time, you’ll undoubtedly have heard us use the phrase: “in the community, for the community.” It’s part of who we are. We are a church committed to ensuring that the church isn’t only for the insiders and those who are “in the know.” We are a group of people focused on how the world might be influenced, changed, restored. We believe in serving without expecting any kind of quid pro quo — the joy of serving people alone is sufficient. We believe in following Jesus (as best as we can) in demonstrating love and self-sacrifice.

So, I say “yes” to that hypothetical question of our disappearance. Emphatically, I say yes. I say yes because of the countless volunteers I’ll never hear about. I say yes because of all the volunteers I do know about. I say yes because every so often, the church gets to put on display our intention to be unmistakably “for the community” on an epic scale.

This Sunday is SERVE DAY. After the 11a service, starting around 1p, we’ll head over to a local elementary school — one of the oldest in Mission Viejo (Cordillera) — a school with an optimistic and dedicated PTA and a great first-year principal with big vision. However, it’s school that has been run-down over the years. It’s in need of a refresh — a facelift. That’s where we step in — 1300+ strong. Last year, Serve Day shaped our church and changed the local community.

So come this Sunday in shorts and old shoes. We’ll provide you with lunch and a t-shirt. Show up, ready to serve. Let’s be “in the community for the community” together. Check out the video from last year to get a sense of what Serve Day is all about. Or, for a picture of the projects we’re tackling this year, take a look at the video conversation with the principal and some of her students. For several weeks a volunteer prep-team has already begun work on the school campus getting things ready for this Sunday. So, don’t miss it. Bring your kids. Bring your neighbors. Bring your neighbors’ kids. There’s something for everyone to do. We need you. Your community does, too.

Doug Fields will be speaking in our current series, LISTEN. I can’t wait to serve alongside you.

See you Sunday,

Jeff
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