Lit Within? Go Do Something!

Here’s a great idea for a community church worship service: The service isn’t really done until you actually DO a service for someone else!

Leave the Church Building and Do a Thing!

Every Sunday, along with the spiritual lesson and fellowship, the Water and Stone Church group commits to do something for the community – make sandwiches for Hannah’s Homeless, collect work clothes for job interviews for the residents of homeless shelters, gather boxes of diapers for new moms. Once a month, the entire membership is on a project, like building houses for Habitat for Humanity, cleaning the community beach, serving at the soup kitchen, puppy-caring at the Humane Society.

Whatever needs hearts and hands in St. Petersburg, Florida, that is where you will find this church-in-action.

The point is made every Sunday: live your theology and spirituality by making it practical in caring for someone else. Dieter Randolph, Lead Pastor, explains, “The reason we serve is we are trying to show our neighbors what it looks like to be a child of God…in other words, there is this love in my heart that is so big I have to do something with it!”

Care for the Neighborhood Means Working in the Neighborhood

This active new church in St Petersburg Florida, is truly and literally in the neighborhood. Not in a single spot in the neighborhood but in many locations throughout the neighborhood. Because wherever there is a call for helping hands to make their local world a better place, that is where you will find this church community at work.

Dieter is third-generation minister and remembers growing up and hearing discussions around the dinner table about increasing membership. He wondered if that was really the goal of a church. “I understand why churches put signs in front of their buildings inviting people to come inside. But isn’t it better if you leave the building – go outside and through the door of the needy so they see you alongside them?”

Water and Stone Church might better be called a “new-old” church, as it takes its inspiration and guidance from the actions of Jesus and his disciples who “…moved into the neighborhood.”

“We started Water and Stone Church as an embodiment of the simple idea that God is good, which means that you are good. When you know that, it’s your job to do good in the world,” shared Dieter. “ After all, my hero did a whole lot of good with just 12 guys!”

Expect to Live and See the Love

Imagine what a spiritual and productive boost to experience every Sunday service: Everyone comes expecting to learn something new about unconditional love so that they can leave the building and live it right away!

A compelling motivation that supports church members in their giving is to look at a person in need or problem situation and consider, How am I actually seeing this person? Do I see him or her as limited or sick or helpless? Is the situation broken?

Dieter shares a more uplifting, spiritual view: “Give yourself a moment to ask, How does Love or God look at this – the person or situation? That’s your choice to make. You need to see as Love sees.” When you apply the engine of unity with Love in view and practice, you are working on the side of a solution, the side of good. Endeavoring to see as Love sees can reveal creative solutions from the same source.

Sounds like a great description of being Lit Within!

Live to Give for Something Bigger

A recent experience at Habitat for Humanity summed up the power of being on the side of Love’s solution. “We were given a job foreman for the day,” Dieter explained. “At the lunchbreak, he said he wanted to share all about the good work that Habitat does. He knows because he lives in a Habitat House. He told us, ‘A recipient has to work for 200 hours before they get a house – I did 900 hours. And the day they gave me a key, they also offered me a job. What I have learned is, if you want to be a better person, you have to give yourself to something bigger, and let it change you.’”

Dieter immediately thought, “This guy is living what we are churching…Give yourself to it and let it change you.” The service done to make a better place for your neighbors will surely have its wonderful effect on you!

The end of every Sunday worship service is really the beginning of another service-filled day, as Dieter finishes with this call to action, “Go show the world what Love looks like!”

You are Lit Within – now go do a thing!

NOW – Go!

Find a way to engage in your community. There are lots of people who need your help. Change your perception, see how Love sees, then be on the side of the solution. Go do a thing!

Here are a few links to get you started: