NOVEMBER 2006

Greetings,

A man was sitting in the Phoenix airport when an announcement was made that a flight to Las Vegas was full. The airline was looking for volunteers to give up their seats. In exchange, the airline offered to give a $100 voucher good for a future flight and a first class seat in the plane leaving an hour later.

Eight people ran up to the counter to take advantage of the offer. About fifteen seconds later all eight of those people sat down grumpily as the lady behind the ticket counter said, “If there is anyone else OTHER than the flight crew who’d like to volunteer please step forward.

Finding volunteers to give up their seats can be very difficult, just as finding volunteers to give up their time and their efforts to accomplish a task is very difficult.

The church has been described as a “volunteer army” and while sometimes I do wish members were required to be more committed and active, as sports leagues and other organizations do. I do ultimately respect the fact that God has given each and every one of us a choice. We can choose to give up our money, our energies, and our resources to serve Him, or we can choose not to do so.

Therefore I want to say two things.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who chose to give up their time, talents and treasure to glorify God and edify the lives of others.

I would love to list every person by name but I am very ambivalent to do so because I know there are those who prefer to remain anonymous and then there is my memory which will undoubtedly forget someone who should be thanked.

My heart-filled gratitude is extended to anyone who has participated in our ministry of education, ministry of music, ministry of administration and finance, ministry of property and grounds, ministry of congregational care, ministry of outreach, ministry of worship, ministry of prayer and any other ministry I am neglecting to mention. THANK YOU!

Now I want to extend an invitation to everyone to volunteer. God has given each of us at least one great gift and God cares a lot about how we use it. Matthew 25 records Jesus’ story about a man who was going on a journey. Prior to his leaving he summoned his servants to one he entrusted five talents, to another two talents and to another one talent.

Whether God has entrusted you with five, two or one talents is not what counts in the long run. It is what you do with them. You must identify, cultivate, invest, prize and enjoy the gifts that God has given.

God is always looking for volunteers to serve Him and serve others.

The need for volunteers to serve God and neighbor is not something new. In Isaiah God pointed out the need for volunteers and asked the question,“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
Isaiah aware of his own powerlessness and inadequacy to do anything of lasting value without God answered, “Here I am send me.”

The need is no less great. God is still asking, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?  What is your answer?

With thanksgiving in my heart,
.