Serving
“The church is organized for service” (Education, 268.6). It is a caring and serving community. When young people are asked what they feel is important for the church to be, many of them say it should make an impact in society. Particularly young people are ready to get involved in meaningful outreach activities that make a difference in the lives of their fellow human beings. Therefore they should not just be invited to help carry them out, but also be included in developing and planning these activities. Those who are actively involved can better identify themselves with the church and the Adventist faith. Today it is easier for people in the church to invite friends and acquaintances to help in ministries serving the community than just to come to worship services. When church and faith are relevant to society, young and old will also be more willing to talk with their friends and other people about their faith. The life of Jesus demonstrates how much proclaiming the Good News depends on a positive, open and serving attitude towards others.
“We’ve by far had the most success inviting people into our community life by inviting them to serve alongside us. As a matter of fact, that’s about the only thing that’s worked consistently as far as ‚official‘ church activities go.“