To those outside of a church, it may seem that churches exist mainly through words, doctrines, creeds and statements. What I have learned is that church is a place where these words and beliefs come to life in real and practical actions. The impact of the people nurtured by the teachings of the church is felt more widely than even they might imagine.
My first awareness of community volunteering came through my church. "Meals on Wheels," a community agency delivering hot meals to seniors or disabled people, relies upon volunteer drivers. In our weekly church bulletin was a regular notice telling the members of the church about what time and date they would be needed to help out. Visits to a local nursing home were coordinated through the church, as a way to provide social support to isolated seniors. These volunteer opportunities existed 40 years ago and have expanded to include food banks, "Out of the Cold" programs using church facilities to provide shelter for the homeless, and many more. Church members are often the ones who recognize community needs and who also fill the ranks of needed volunteer help.
Churches are also places to get practical help, for insiders (as I highlight in the story below) and for those outside. This is true for those who attend: help is requested and given when someone is ill in the hospital or needs a ride to medical appointments or needs some cash to pay bills due to a work setback. People bringing over baked goods or a meal in a time of struggle is a common show of support in church circles. One strong memory of practical help happened when my family of origin was going through a crisis. I was away from home doing summer volunteer work and heard about it later. My father could not work that day, but the livestock needed attention. My mother called two families from the church asking if they could send someone over to help. No questions were asked; no explanation was needed. The young adults who came over and did the farm chores have probably forgotten all about it, but their gift of time is still appreciated by me today.
As alluded to in an earlier post in this series, churches take up offerings. The church where I grew up took up two offerings. That might sound greedy; however, the first offering went to paying bills, the pastor and practical costs of operating a church. The second offering was designated for a different cause each week. It was only touched by those counting it and then was passed along to community organizations, agencies or was put in a fund to help people in need who approached the church. It was instilled in me that true generosity flows to those outside of the church building. According to 2013 Canadian statistics, 41% of the dollars given to charities went to religious organizations [1]. One should not assume that these funds remained in those buildings; they were meant to go out. Yes, some of the work done by religious organizations involves sharing their message with those who have not heard it before. In the spirit of the churches I am acquainted with, the motivation for giving is love--love that seeks to meet human needs regardless of the religious affiliation of the recipient.
If churches only communicate their message in words, then as the Apostle James declares, "...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 3:17 NIV). I am grateful to have learned the vital lesson of faith and deeds working in tandem, at church. Now it's my responsibility to live it out for the next generation.
[1]Turcotte, Martin. Volunteering and charitable giving in Canada. Statistics Canada Report, 2015, page 13. 2015https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/89-652-x/89-652-x2015001-eng.pdf?st=idKPvHV6
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