Last summer a friend challenged my Bible study group to read “The Hole in our Gospel” by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision.  After reading the brief summary posted on the back of the book,

“What does God expect of us?  Is our faith about just going to Church, studying the Bible and avoiding the most serious sin – or does God expect more?  Have we embraced the whole gospel or a gospel with a hole in it?  Ten years ago Rich Stearns came face-to face with that question as he sat in a mud hut in Rakai, Uganda, listening to the heartbreaking story of an orphaned child.  Steans’ journey there took much more than a long flight to Africa.  It took answering God’s call on his life, a call that tore him out of his corner office at one of America’s most prestigious corporations – to walk with the poorest of poor in the world.”

I am ashamed to say that I opted out of that challenge.  But God apparently intended for me to read that book.  So, due to my friend’s persistence throughout the year, the book was number one on my reading list for this summer,  and shortly I was engrossed by the testimony of the author and the plight of millions of children around the world.  I can assure you that it wasn’t light, happy summer reading.  However, I highly recommend the book as it truly opened my eyes and is prompting change within me and my family.

“Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now”

St. Teresa of Avila

One of the reasons that I was attracted to the Catholic Church was the Church’s preferential option for the poor and caring for the least and the lost.  However, when it came to time to sign up for ministry activities in my parish and in previous churches, I always found myself drawn towards activities within the Church such as teaching Sunday school, facilitating Bible studies and working on the welcome committee.  While all these are worthy endeavors, I realized that serving the poor was left off the list.

Although I was familiar with Christ’s words in the passage of Matthew 25:31-46 where He tells about the final judgment, I don’t think I personalized this message as I should have.  What have I done to feed the hungry?  What have I done to give water to the thirsty?  What have I done to help a stranger?  What have I done to clothe the naked? What have I done to look after the sick?  What have I done to visit those in prison?

The book, the scripture, the truth in Christ’s words culminated in a very uncomfortable conviction for me.  I had been blessed to be a blessing to others– but I was allowing God’s blessing in my life to stop with me.  As you know when you reach the “aha” moment, it can be a little overwhelming.  How can I implement a life style of service into my already busy life? Mother Teresa’s words provided the answer and direction in which to begin – start small.

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

Mother Teresa

Armed with that advice and some free days this summer, several of us have identified a few organizations in our hometown of Atlanta where you can serve on a moment’s notice.  That flexibility is helpful when you also have to navigate the family schedule filled with children’s activities, summer doctor appointments and trips.

While I haven’t personally served in all these ministries, someone in our Bible study group has.  Here is a list of groups that are in need of volunteers throughout the summer.  In most cases you can simply call the day before, reserve a spot to serve,  and/or make a commitment to bring food to a drop off location.

Must Ministries – is a faith based non profit charitable organization dedicated to providing services to persons and families in crisis while maintaining their dignity.  Must has several areas in which to serve.  The summer lunch program serves 2,000 plus lunches to children everyday totaling nearly 100,000 lunches per summer.  The ministry needs volunteers to provide lunches to be distributed at one of their service centers.  Instructions and guidelines can be found on their website at www.mustministries.org.

City of Refuge – offers both life saving resources and life building tools to individuals and families in Atlanta who are living on the margin.  There are also multiple opportunities here to serve.  One ministry within City of Refuge is called Meals on the Street.  Individuals or groups of 10 or less serve dinner on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 6 PM and breakfast on Sundays from 8:45 to 10 AM to homeless men and women on the streets.  For more information and/or to make reservations to serve, visit www.cityofrefugeinc.com.

7 Bridges to Recovery is a non-profit ministry rescuing the last, the lost and the least from the streets of Atlanta.  There are several opportunities here to serve including a street ministry where teams of volunteers go into the street and under bridges to bring food and needed items to the homeless and pray with them.  The ministry also operates a shelter called The Garden.  Volunteers can provide food items for dinner and/or assist with serving dinner at the shelter every night.  For more information on how to become involved, visit www.7bridgestorecovery.org.

Saint Francis Table –is a ministry of The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  The ministry feeds over 500 people every Saturday.  Volunteers are needed beginning at 7:00 AM on Saturday mornings to prepare sandwiches.  Groups and individuals can donate sandwiches and food items.  For more information visit the website www.catholicshrineatlanta.org

So whether you are a seasoned volunteer who is looking for a new opportunity in which serve this summer or you are just starting small like me, there are plenty of places in which to get involved.

Chick A