The church is in full fall mode as we prepare to set in motion the educational programs of the fall.  The opportunities to serve as teachers, youth sponsors, power point volunteers, kitchen help, STARS (our after school program) volunteers and countless other areas of the church abound. Take a look in the church bulletin and pick your area of service!

First Reformed’s motto is “Impacting Lives for Christ”.

Sometimes the opportunity to be a student of our motto literally comes to your doorstep. Last week Sunday, a family of four stood at the entrance to our south parking lot with a large sign asking for work.  What is a Christian to do?  What do we do at First Reformed?

I spotted this situation as I walked home to help host Connections, our post high young adult class. Following a quick conversation of broken English that revealed a story that I have heard many times before, I decided to see what we could do to provide legitimate assistance. 

The following is written in the words of one of those young adults, Taylor Van Wyk, when I asked for a volunteer to assist me with this family. I believe Taylor’s response gives an insight into the struggle we all have when our calling as followers of Christ comes knocking at our front door.

“Pastor Wayne walked through his kitchen doorway on August 18 and stated that he will be back in a little bit because he had a “special situation” that he had to go investigate. At this exact moment, Connections for post high students, was taking place in his home. Before he could explain what he was doing, my mind was reeling about what could possibly be the special situation here in Sully. It turns out, in the south parking lot, there was a family traveling back from New York to California and was asking for work around the area. After Pastor Wayne communicated with this family, he came back and said he was bringing food out to them. I was blessed with the opportunity to carry water bottles and pop to this family. My heart was filled with happiness after having an encounter with the little girl of the family. Pure innocence was written across her face as she had no idea why I was giving her the bottles of water. After reflecting on what I had just experience , I felt that the most frustrating part in a situation of helping the homeless or those in need is that one will never have the answer if it was a hoax or whether they were truly in need of our help. However, who are we to judge. This brings me to a couple verses. Luke 14: 12-14 states, Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a dinner,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors.  For they will repay you by inviting you back.  Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the godly, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” I found this to be a fitting passage because instead of inviting them over, we brought our company to them and assisted to their needs. The greatest rewards come when you least expect them to as we are touching lives little by little. “

Taylor, I could not have said that any better!

The church exists for moments such as these, the expected and the unexpected, when we respond to being the hands and feet of Jesus. It is putting into practice the lessons of our Teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ!

Let us be prepared when our calling as a student of Jesus comes knocking at our door!

Blessings!

Pastor Wayne and Taylor Van Wyk