Hearing and Living God's Call to Share With Others... Through Presence and Compassion

Rev. Dr. Carl K. Ellis

I, the Lord of wind and flame. I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide. 'Til their hearts be satisfied
I will give my life to them, Whom shall I send

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night
I will go, Lord. If You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.

~ Lyrics by Dan Schutte, © 1981, OCP. All rights reserved.

We love to talk about being in the church and helping our brothers and sisters with physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. However, we don't take our discipleship with us when we leave the church. Discipleship is a "Sunday morning" thing we do. So when we see people homeless, addicted to drugs or alcohol, dealing with emotional hurts, or spiritual hurting, we walk right by because we may think they are reaping what they sowed. Even though we believe we deserve "Amazing Grace," we act as if others do not. We forget there are times when even though we have a roof over our head, our homes are a battleground; we have addictions that we can hide from others, and we are emotionally and spiritually bankrupt.

We forget that we all face the same hurts, the same struggles, and the same trials. We are the body of Christ. And when one part of the body hurts, we all hurt. We are to do to others as we want them to do to us.

Each of us has a longing to be loved and belong, which happens when we experience God's grace and love. Many times, God's grace and love come through relationships when we know we are loved and accepted. We give thanks for the love and understanding of our church family and are called to share the same with others. We live in an ever-changing world that desperately needs a Ministry of Presence by faithful disciples.

If you want to do more than hear God's Word and want to live as a disciple being present and compassionate with others, you are invited to the following:

The Ministry of Presence: Cultivating Relationships in an Ever-Changing World.

The workshop will be held via Zoom on February 26, 2022, from 9:00 am to 11:30 am CST.

The cost is $10 per person.

For more information, go to The Ministry of Presence: Cultivating Relationships in an Ever-Changing World where you can learn more about the event; George Howard, the workshop leader; and download a flyer to share with others.

To register, go to the workshop's Zoom registration form.

I hope you will take advantage of "The Ministry of Presence" workshop, which will help you and your church develop a lasting presence in your community.