It warms the heart when some of us were invited into people’s homes during our neighbourhood visitation. While warm receptions are not the norm, members felt we are making headway in our efforts. There were words of appreciation; and importantly, some friendships forged.
The success of the church’s community outreach ministry and therefore BCS is anchored on strong volunteerism and finance.
With strong finance but weak volunteerism, our community outreach will morph into an outsourced event planner/organisation – professional, but lacking the warmth of love and personal touch of the church.
With much volunteerism but poor finance, our scope and reach will be hampered and limited – we will just be limping along.
Either case is not what we hope our community outreach or BCS will be. Either case is not how we want to function.
Can the community outreach ministry or BCS function with 50% interest or volunteerism? Yes, but we will only be 50% effective! If our body function is at 50%, we are certainly not well! We need our body to be at 100% to be perky and lively. Likewise, it is with the body of Christ – the church! Currently, we have a good percentage of members who are willing, ready and available to serve and contribute financially to the church’s outreach ministry/BCS. But to be truly perky and lively for our Lord, we need 100% participation!
How do you see the future of BCS?
In the story of the “Good Samaritan”, he not only tended to the stranger on the spot, he invested in the victim’s well-being with great generosity – time/effort/money. Like the Good Samaritan, most of us will respond by showing kindness and doing what we can to help when we see a real need. Perhaps, with our church’s outreach, you don’t see real needs that stir your heart. In perceiving needs, may I invite you to see beyond the physical and emotional and into the spiritual realm?
May I also invite you to take a walk with me through the neighbourhood? I will show you that the three aspects of needs are real and immediate and there are many out there we must reach out to. To connect with them, we need to build bridges through friendship and services to gain their trust and confidence. It is a long process. Will you invest in it? Your investment in doing thoughtful things for others will bring many cheers. May God open your heart, your eyes, your wallet and your time to see the needs of the community and serve with us.
By Shi Pau Soon, Elder (YCKC Bulletin 20 October 2019)