Get to work!

Last week Drew and I received a welcome packet from our church. In the packet was a directory (complete with photos – which I was so thankful for because I am terrible at remembering people’s names!), some info about the church and different ministries/groups to get involved with, and some paperwork for us to return. They just wanted to know our address, phone numbers, email address, etc, as well as when our birthdays are, when and where we got married, and when and where we got baptized (To be honest, I had to call my mom and ask! All I could remember about myself is that it was a Saturday night in August and everyone who came went to Dairy Queen afterwards.  Haha!). There were also two optional service surveys included, so we could fill out the areas where we would be interested in serving. We filled everything out and mailed it back to the church secretary that day. I am guessing that they probably arrived Friday.

Sunday morning as we were dropping Houston off to bible class, I was pulled aside and “claimed” as a teacher for the toddler bible class. Sunday afternoon Drew got a phone call asking if he could be a greeter for the month of June. (Yes, MY Drew volunteered to be a greeter! I was very proud of him for going out of his comfort zone a little bit there, because if any of you know him, you know he’s pretty shy. He isn’t rude or anything, but he usually isn’t the one to just strike up a conversation with everyone who enters the room) Then during a casual conversation Sunday evening on the playground, our preacher also remembered that Drew was willing to help with any sort of construction projects at the building. Whenever the new playground padding stuff comes in, they’ll be calling Drew to help out. We were both a little surprised, but VERY impressed with how quickly the word had spread and how willing they were to put us to work! While I don’t feel it’s a church’s sole responsibility to get new members involved, it’s definitely a welcoming feeling. I have always felt it’s pointless to give out surveys if you are never going to actually ask people to help out in the areas they are willing to. How would a new member know where they are needed unless the need is made known?

As a little side note to this, we also received an email in regards to Drew being a greeter. Greeters wear name tags, which cost $7.50. I was asked if I wanted to order one as well. This made me think of our last church where everyone had magnetic name tags they were supposed to wear every Sunday and then leave in their mailbox before going home. I accidentally wore mine home one day, so I left it on our kitchen counter. I was baking cookies one day and smelled something burning in the oven. I looked at the oven rack and found a bubbling piece of plastic draped over the metal bars of the oven rack and the magnetic remains of my name tag stuck to the side of the cookie sheet. Something crazy like that would only happen to ME! Hahaha! So in my email response, I said we would just order the one for Drew.

I think everything in life happens for a reason. Drew and I were just discussing this the other night. Neither one of us really feels that his schooling is the reason we are here. Yes, that is what consumes like 80% of his time and energy, but there is a bigger purpose! We needed this refreshing new start and new “family” to be a part of. We already know that neither one of us will want to leave at the end of the year, but my hope is that we’ll carry this new attitude and perspective to wherever we end up next!

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ” 1 Corinthians 12:12