As a ministry we are reminded constantly that we need to stay on course, stick to our defined mission, and keep doing what we do best. In a normal world, in a normal time, I couldn’t agree more. But what do you do when, all of a sudden, “what you do” simply can’t be done? I suppose you could throw up your hands in frustration, or maybe you could go on vacation. But what COVID-19 has taught us is that ministry is not really about what we do, although we are called to do specific tasks, and to do them to the very best of our abilities. No, ministry is about who we do it for, and more importantly, Who we serve.
Back in March we quickly learned that our normal outreach to families through home visits, school visits, Bible clubs and the like just wasn’t going to happen. So we asked the simple but dangerous question, “what do you actually need?” It was at that point that we realized that what they needed was food, and that they needed it soon. So we got to work, stopping our normal activities, and putting our efforts into raising funds for food and distributing that food to our kids and their families. By doing so, we met an immediate need, and at the same time continued to carry out our mission of bringing hope.
What we've learned during this pandemic is that our mandate to serve and bring hope can and will take various forms depending on need. Our continued mission is to bring hope to the hopeless in every situation, by whatever means necessary, so that all may experience the love and grace of God. Our ultimate calling is to bring hope through service to others, and more importantly, to grow God's Kingdom through service to Him.
