No images? Click here January NewsletterA Letter From MikeHappy New Year SERVE 6.8 Team, A new year always bring new vision, and this year is no exception. Over Christmas, I spent time praying and seeking God’s wisdom for what was next for SERVE 6.8 and its church partners. I found clues for the coming year by reflecting over last year. Luke 12:48 reminds us: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48 If you look at the numbers from 2019, you will see that God has entrusted His church with the care of thousands of families; we had over 12,000 family visits to the Resource Center last year. Wow, what an incredible privilege and blessing we have been given to care for so many people! I believe that SERVE 6.8 and its churches have been entrusted with much because we have been faithful with what we have been given. Specifically, we have loved families and met their physical needs while pointing them to Jesus as the ultimate answer for wholeness. We also work hard to connect families to local churches so that they can receive the ongoing love and support they need while discovering what is looks like to belong to a larger family. All this leads me to the introduction of this year’s theme, “The Road Less Travelled”, which perfectly describes our commitment to caring for people in a way that honors Jesus and reminds people they were created in the Image of God. What makes this path so difficult is acknowledging that ‘stuff’ isn’t going to fix our issues; a change of heart is needed more than a change of circumstance. This mission isn’t carried out by a small staff of professionals empowered by you: Instead, our role is to empower you to love your neighbor right where you are. I am excited to dream big with all of you this year as we explore how we can make a difference in the lives of our neighbors and impact the largest issues of our communities. I’m looking forward to exploring how the body of Christ can make a difference while staying true to our mission, which is to meet the needs of hurting people while letting people know that Jesus brings true freedom. This type of approach is truly the road less travelled but when taken, makes all the difference. Thank you for your making such an amazing impact in 2019 and please consider joining us at SERVE Track to learn how you can engage this fight every day! “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Luke 7:13-14 Mike Walker Check Out Who You Served! 12,733 Total Family Connections 4,263 Unique Families Served 1,660 Families in Adopt-A-Family 327 Families Seeking Housing Assistance 40 Families financially assisted with housing costs How Many Made it Happen? 20,163 Total 2019 Volunteer Hours 6,839 Volunteer Positions Filled 297 Teams/Project Count (Churches, Businesses, etc.) 38 Churches who Participated in Adopt-A-Family 225 Giving Tree Businesses 6,352 Adopt-A-Family Volunteer Hours (and counting...) How can you get involved? Attend SERVE Track on Wednesday, January 22nd at 6pm at the SERVE 6.8 Resource Center (1239 East Drake Rd) Learn how you can join the team that tackles the daily mission to meet the needs of hurting people in our community.
Family Visits: 10,742 Partner Churches: 30 Volunteer Hours: 149,411 |