Reaching out to help our neighbor is core to who we are called to be as people of God and followers of Jesus. This is woven into our lives in small ways: opening a door for a stranger, explaining an assignment to a classmate, doing dishes for a stressed-out roommate, calling a family member or friend who is having a tough time. You may not always think of these actions as living out the call of Jesus to care for your neighbor, but they are. And they are just as important as volunteering or full-scale service trips as we care for the people around us.
We help people by giving our time, our expertise, and our resources. We also help people by learning about their lives, by standing with them in their troubles, and helping to shed light on the issues that lead to their struggles when we can.
There are a few opportunities coming up to reach out and help our neighbors.
Free Pizza Friday – Partner with Muslim students on campus to help share pizza and good-will on Friday, September 7th, 2018. Volunteers gather in Pasquerilla Spiritual Center by 12:50 pm and go out to the Plaza at Palmer Museum to hand out pizza in the fastest service project ever seen! Sign Up Here.
God’s Work. Our Hands. Sunday – Join other students sorting clothing at Wesley’s Closet at Abba Java Coffeehouse on Sunday, September 9th from 2 – 4 pm. We’ll be serving on the same day as ELCA communities across the country! Sign Up Here.
Washington, DC Service-Learning Trip – Take a weekend away and join friends from other Christian groups on campus in feeding hungry folks, seeing a new side of Washington, DC, and discovering ways to serve our neighbors. Just $20 for the weekend! Sign Up Here.
As you take time to care for your neighbor in tiny ways or in huge, life-changing ways, you are living the love that God calls us to. You are bringing the presence and love of God here, to this struggling and troubled word. You are truly doing God’s work.
“. . . just as you did it to one of the least of these . . . you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40