Ripe Opportunities

  

We have just entered the traditional harvest season. This is that labor-intensive time when the farmer gathers the mature crops from the fields. Fruit, not ripe, could be easily be detected by its green color, suggesting it is not ready to be picked.

Jesus had this picture in mind when he illustrated to his disciples the point of missed opportunities:

John 4:35-36

35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

Eternity demands an urgency that pays attention to “the now”. There is nothing wrong with a future plan, as long as it doesn’t distract you from divine appointments today. This was my wake up call when I found myself tempted to hold off my best attention to some things until we as a church were in a more permanent home. I dream about transitioning out of our school situation all the time. I understand the impact it has on our effectiveness and pocketbook after 10 years.

But God has something for you and me, today, in the here and now. And that requires opened eyes that look at the field of opportunities on Sunday, even in a challenging and difficult mobile environment. Each guest and each individual who walks through our doors is choosing to be there, when they could be elsewhere doing other things. Every person is showing a spiritual interest and is saying, “Lead me closer to God today.” And that’s where our focus ought to be.

Let’s not the green opportunities we wish and hope for distract us from the ripe opportunities right in front of us. We are working hard to transition us out of our mobile condition. I can t wait and I will continue to remain excited. But each Sunday opportunity has its own priceless value until then.

So thanks for coming, volunteering, loving, worshipping, learning, praying, and giving like there was no tomorrow. It’s the “ripe” thing to do.

First Friday Block Parties

In pursuing our vision to be a church that “demonstrates faith,” the first Friday of every month offers an opportunity for those at BP to make our faith tangible by caring about others. One of our targets for this year was to provide food assistance in our local community once a month. Partnering with a mobile food service called Forever Fed, we now provide dinner for a local community that needs our help and friendship. More than just provide a meal, our volunteers sit and eat with the people in the community to forge new friendships and to be a relational bridge to the truth about Jesus.

Here’s how it works. We assemble a Cooking Team of 4 people that starts at 2:00 PM on that Friday and meets at Hillside Methodist Church in Woodstock. We use their kitchen to prepare the food for about 3 hours. Guided by experienced help, the prep team makes and cooks the food for a large group of people and then loads it in a large truck. The prep team is now done and leaves with an overwhelming sense of fulfillment that they were used by God to feed hungry people. It’s a blast! I’ve been a part of the prep team in the kitchen and its fun just working together as a team to make a difference in someone’s life.

We then assemble a second team of 6-8 Servers that meets at the community’s location at 5:30 PM. This team serves the food and then eats with the community in seeking to get to know them. It’s an out-of-the-box experience for many people. It’s not easy eating with strangers and trying to break open conversation. But there is a great spiritual growth experience waiting for those who will give themselves away as an act of loving compassion. There’s a heart swelling moment for those who will put others first and model to the world the type of love Jesus has shown us. 

On the church web site, you can sign up for these 2 teams each month. Once registered, you will receive an e-mail confirmation reminder, directions to the locations, and how to dress. If you are on the prep team, you have to wear closed-end shoes and a baseball cap. Please be patient. The Serving Team will expand soon to add more and more people. We do not want to overwhelm the community and disrespect their space. So we are moving slow. We are even considering doing a dinner twice a month when we establish ourselves more relationally and get to know their needs. We are also helping to provide Christmas gifts this December to the children in this community to continue the relationship building. 

When you partner with BridgePointe as a volunteer, you partner with God to change the world … one hungry person at a time. Be part of the story of how God is using ordinary people to make a difference. 

“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

I John 2:5-6