The community of Newton, Kansas witnessed the hands and feet of Jesus as Grace Community Church (GCC) undertook its third annual Big Serve event on April 21st. Volunteers gathered on Sunday morning for worship, and then conducted 24 projects around the community. Teams mulched, weeded, cleaned, and more. One group even wrote encouraging chalk messages on sidewalks. Afterward, volunteers gathered at GCC for fellowship and ice cream.
The heart of GCC’s Big Serve is about loving people like Jesus, says Will Regier, the Pastor of Connection and Care. “I think it is a great way for us to show that we are willing to love people practically and not just in theory.” As a result, people see God moving. One man who stopped attending church after experiencing hurt in a church decided to join the Big Serve. He then decided to return to church, and now attends regularly.
Jessica Warkentine devoted countless hours alongside Amy Ives and many others to help the Big Serve come together this year. From helping with marketing, registration, identifying team leaders, and communicating with them along the way, Jessica saw many moments of God working through this project. Seeing church members draw closer to God and others was a particular highlight. “They have grown an eagerness to step into uncomfortable moments in order to build a relationship. This to me is priceless and a true gift from God.”
Big Serve got its start when GCC member, Amy Ives, previously witnessed her brother launching a similar event in Arkansas. After moving to Kansas, Amy saw the love GCC had for its community and pitched the idea to the leadership team. This year, a local public school joined the Big Serve, working side by side with GCC volunteers. “This opened up a way for us to connect with the public schools in a way that we have not done before,” says Amy. “It will be exciting to see how the seeds we have planted this year will develop in the following years.”
