When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was what did he say? “Love God”. Then he said that the second one is like it: “Love your neighbor”. Simple words from our Savior and the Author of Life, but how are we to do this? Why is it so difficult for us to love our neighbor? How can we love someone we don’t even know? Jesus calls us out into the lives of others!
As your Director of Christian Outreach, a part of my call is to help you find opportunities to love your neighbor. I am always on the lookout for ministries that would fit us well here at Bethel. I believe that we’ve found one.
This year Bethel is looking to start a new ministry that will serve the children of the North End Neighborhood. What we’re working towards is an after-school tutoring program that includes a Bible lesson at the end. I am hoping that this will be a major ministry of our church and one that has an impact on the community around us for Jesus!
We’re working with a blooming ministry called Rebecca’s Garden of Hope located in Florida. After hearing from them a few weeks back about the success and baptisms they’ve had with the children in their community, we’re inspired to move forward with our own tutoring program. Rebecca’s Garden will provide the structure and experience and we’ll hit the ground running this fall.
When a child comes to Rebecca’s Garden they’ll spend time working on their schoolwork, eat a snack and hear from God’s Word. They’ll also learn some valuable and practical life lessons about making good decisions.
Please pray for this new opportunity and consider being a part of it. We’re hoping that this will be a major way for us to love our neighbors. We hope that God will use this to grow His kingdom here.