Goal: To develop a website that will meet certain needs of the Body of Christ. In doing so, the hope is that believers who have never signed up or been available to give and serve will be motivated to do so.
Motivation:
Many churches collect food for food pantries, used clothing for the homeless, single-parent offerings, temporary assistance, etc. Smaller churches may even have names of shut-ins and others who need visitation. With larger church congregations, many needs go beyond this, and there are typically no lists of individuals' needs. This is where individuals can slip through the cracks, having needs that go completely unnoticed by the Body. Several scriptures in God's Word instruct the Body to care for widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22, Isaiah 1:17, James 1:27). About a year ago, I spoke with the campus pastor at the church where I attend. God had put it on my heart to visit the elderly and other shut-ins from the church. The campus pastor didn't know of anyone from our specific campus, but he planned on checking with the main campus and getting back with me. I live in a large city, and the church I attend has seven campuses. While each campus is moderate in size and feels intimate, the overall number of individuals who attend each week is quite large. I was given the email of another individual who never got back with me. A disappointment for sure. Knowing that large campuses cannot possibly meet the needs of their members, and that care groups do not cover many of these areas, moved me to start praying.
Shortly after this, I heard a message series on community, and they linked it to the start of the church in Acts. It was during discussion and prayer over what community should look like within The Body, in my women's group, that I felt like God was telling me something. Again, I felt moved to do something, but what? I started to reflect on Acts 4:34-35, " 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need." In asking God how something like this might work today, the thought of "Offer Up" came to mind. The Body of Christ is large and spread out, but the needs are still great. What if there were a website for the Body of Christ that offered free services and other things? A website that would connect an individual with a specific need (from the Body of Christ) to an individual who had the desire to give and serve in the same area. The following are some examples of possible needs and areas of giving and service:
Needs Giving/Service
prayer prayer warrior
weekly visit to a shut-in kindhearted servant
meal preparation someone who loves to cook for others
auto repair mechanic who would like to serve
household repairs handyman/woman who would like to serve
yardwork teen or adult who would like to serve
housecleaning teen or adult who would like to serve
laundry teen or adult who would like to serve
help moving adult with a truck/van who would like to serve
used furniture needs someone wanting to donate used furniture
needs work adult running a business that is hiring
Again, everything (donations and services) must be free; no Ananias' or Sapphira's (Acts 5). The money raised here at GiveSendGo.com will be for creating the website.
Thank you for donating to this future ministry. May it glorify our Lord.
