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What's in a Name

The Five Points of Connection

Point 4: Serve

There is a great show on PBS called Grannies on Safari. Two Grannies who are best friends, travel the globe creating friendships and learning about the culture. In my favorite episode the Grannies travel to Japan. They visit the ritzy Ropongi Hills district. They participate in a traditional Japanese tea service. They even get to attend a sumo wrestling match. It’s a lot of fun watching these Grannies explore a new culture. The only problem is the Grannies never get to stay for very long.

When people come to Calvary we don’t want them to just be explorers. Everyone starts out as an explorer but there comes a point when its time to participate in Calvary. When that point comes the explorer attends Link-Up where the person is introduced to the culture of Calvary and the person partners with a LIFEGroup.

So what is next point of connection after partnering? Have you ever stayed an extended period with a different family or in a different culture? How did you know when you finally became part of the family and you weren’t just a visitor anymore? I always know I’ve been accepted when they finally let me serve.

A visitor is served. A guest doesn’t have to cook. You don’t make your visitor clean the house. I remember the first extended time I spent at my in-laws house. For the first few weeks they did everything for me. I tried to help, but they wouldn’t let me. They cooked, they cleaned, they even did my laundry. Then one day I drank the last of the Kool-Aid. I put pitcher in the sink to wash it as I had tried before but this time instead of saying “Don’t worry about that, I’ll make more later,” my mother in-law said “After you wash it out, make some more.” From that point on they let me serve, and I knew I was part of the family.

A member of the family isn’t served. Family members serve each other. The next point of connection at Calvary is to serve. Serving is an awesome privilege. When you serve you know you aren’t a visitor, you are part of the family. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. At Calvary there are many opportunities for us to follow the example of Jesus and to serve each other.

Everyone is given different abilities by God. When you serve you can discovers those gifts. And when you serve the family of God with your gifts you will really begin to feel at home. Being part of a family means pitching and doing your part. I never feel more at home or more connected in a church then when I am serving. As my father in law says “Wherever you serve, you will be home.” That’s why serving is the fourth point of connection in your spiritual journey at Calvary.

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