Feed My Starving Children

God calls us into action.  Our faith is more than our words; it is taking the first baby step in getting out of our comfort zone and loving radically for Jesus through our actions. Little did I know last October when I boarded the airplane at 6:00 AM at our local airport and arrived at our final destination Port Au Prince, Haiti, my life would be turned upside down in every good way.  My world instantly had just gotten a little bit bigger. God was opening my heart to see the beauty and the pain that exists in Haiti.  My definition of beauty started to expand while I was there.  In the midst of garbage and tent cities, I saw beautiful people with overflowing hearts for their people and for their country. God was and is clearly present in Haiti. 

While in Haiti, one of the opportunities our team had was to put love into action; we delivered Feed My Starving Children boxes filled with manna packs to Isaiah’s Orphanage.  Having many experiences serving on the side of packaging manna packs at multiple locations in the Twin Cities, it was surreal to be on the other side and handing the boxes to the caretakers at the orphanage.  To be a first hand witness and see how Feed My Starving Children was making a difference in the world was unbelievable. Once we delivered the manna packs, we worshiped in creole, Glwa pou Bondye (Glory to God).  We proclaimed these words together through song and worship and tears fell from my eyes as I was blown away by God’s love for all people.    

 

I invite you to join me in serving at Feed My Starving Children with Resurrection on Friday, February 13, 2015 at the Eagan packing site. Our congregation is being challenged to fill an entire shift of 140 spots at Feed My Starving Children. I know the power of distributing food, but the food would not be distributed if we did not have volunteers to pack the food at each packing site.  We do not have to travel to a third world country to make a difference. We can serve right where God has planted us. 

Please sign up to take an hour and a half of your Friday evening and join Resurrection friends at the packing party on February 13^th.  At the end of the night, we can give God all the glory for what He has done in our lives and in the lives of others. Let’s get out of our comfort zone together and be doers of love.

Written by: Hannah Koehler

Leadership

Look around the Resurrection community and you will see the results of various leaders’ efforts. Each team, each worship celebration, each confirmation class, each retreat or camp or high school thing or service project is the result of someone, or better yet, a team of someones, leading the way. Numerous youth and children’s ministry leaders at Resurrection have been to Youth Leadership workshops, where they repeat often, “Nothing happens without a leader.” Ministry and serving opportunities are truly limitless, but as a congregation, we can only pursue and develop the ones with someone, staff or volunteer, willing to serve as a leader. 

Smiling leaders at Resurrection

That may mean being a coordinator, a team member, or a champion for a new idea. Leading can take the form of shepherding a small group of 2^nd graders on a Sunday morning, organizing the Resurrection family for Faith in ACT!ON Day, inviting members to serve as lobby hosts, helping Resurrection focus on mission as a member of the Mission Leadership Team, or giving your passions and energies to developing outreach ministry here.  An example of the impact of a leadership void is the Resurrection garage sale.  With too few willing leaders and participants taking over from past coordinators, that event will not be held in 2015. While there are many reasons to let go of some programs, the presence or absence of leaders can be a primary reason. Styles of leadership vary; perhaps you are being called to move into the role of shepherd, pacesetter, guide, organizer, or mentor. As Jesus modeled, being a servant leader is a high and holy calling.

On Thursday evening, January 22, ministry leaders gather for Resurrection’s first leader summit of 2015. The leader summit is a gathering of leaders, and potential leaders, to offer a time for fellowship with peers, a chance to equip all who work with volunteers, an opportunity to share ideas or concerns, and a venue for communication among leaders and Mission Leadership Team members. It is good and helpful to come together as we enter a new calendar year and to support one another as we strive to live out Resurrection’s mission to call all people to a vibrant life of faith in Christ.

As we prepare to gather leaders, it is important to remember that in any church, the need for new leaders is always present. New ideas, your unique gifts, various insights and experiences all add much to the life and ministry of Resurrection. Whether you are serving in a leadership role or would like to get involved at some point in the future, you are invited to the January 22 leader summit.  While there are many ministries in which to get involved, one key leader need is the role of Outreach Coordinator. If you have a heart for missions, for needs in our local community and beyond, please talk to church staff or Terri Dokken, who served faithfully in this role for many years. As we trust, live and serve we know there are opportunities being missed, or potential untapped, without someone currently directing this vital aspect of our call as Christians.

The leader summit is also an opportunity to pause and remember the one who leads us all . . . he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. from Psalm 23  Join us.

RSVP appreciated. 

Written by:  Sarah Storvick