Here For Good: Why Showing up for Others Still Matters
It goes without saying: the pandemic has challenged us in every area of our lives. It has altered the ways we live, work, play, eat, relate to, and serve others. And it has reminded us why showing up to do life with others still matters.
No one would have thought we would see closed doors in places like hospitals, restaurants, schools, churches, shops, movie theaters, and the gym.
No one could have imagined how much strain would be placed on essential workers, teachers, and health care providers, as well as many people who were forced out of work.
And no one would have guessed the impact of a pandemic on many of our personal relationships. So many activities and events—including work-related gatherings, weddings, funerals, celebrations, concerts, sports, and more—were placed on hold these last 17 months.
We’ve had to figure out new ways to connect with our usual social circles, getting creative with co-workers, neighbors, family, and friends. Even meeting up for a meal, or taking a stroll in the neighborhood, look different now.
And we have lost some of our usual ways of engaging and supporting our communities. Regular opportunities that were once wide-open for serving with and alongside our Community Partners have been closed. Visits and direct client contact were placed on hold. In some cases, we have been able to creatively work around restrictions to serve and support in new ways we have not used before. But overall, there were so many avenues of service that were (rightfully) shut down last year.
Many of these adjustments have boiled down to this one thing: we’ve had to scale back on interactions that are up close and in-person. That has applied not only to the ways we work, live, and relate to others, but also to how we serve others.
Despite these changes, at least two things have remained constant for us as a church.
They are echoed in our DNA values “We Glow in the Dark” and “We Don’t Go It Alone”:
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Our commitment to be Here For Good to make a difference in our communities
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Our belief in the unique power of serving alongside others
As the situation with the pandemic continues to evolve, let’s pray for ways to continue to live out these two things in ways that are effective and safe. And let’s re-invigorate our efforts to serve people in our communities with our physical presence.
So many people just need to know they are seen, or loved, or cared for. They need to know that they matter, and we communicate that powerfully when we show up for them however we can.
The opportunities are plentiful! And they don’t need to be extravagant. Serving others can be easy but may take a bit of thought. Spend some time walking through your neighborhood, driving around your city, or talking with others and identifying ways to be Here for Good.
Here are a few ideas to get started:
- Organize a neighborhood cookout at your home and generate an address/phone contact sheet so people can stay in touch with each other.
- Arrange a cookout at a nearby park and clean up the park grounds.
- Take a family walk in the neighborhood and pick up trash in the park or around the school.
- Serve at a local food pantry. Saturdays are big days at pantries and the need for people to serve is great.
- Check out your city’s volunteer website for serving opportunities and join in.
- Serve at your community animal shelter. The need is great right now.
- Identify an elderly person on your street and take something that sends the message, “We see you and love you.”
Chase Oaks Church has a rich history of engaging with our local communities to serve the needs of those around us. Let’s continue to show up, to show that we are truly Here For Good.
April 2022 is DO GOOD Month, a time for us to show up together for our communities! Find more information, design your own project, or sign up for one of our many different opportunities, here.