Who would have ever thought flipping pancakes could make heaven come closer to earth?

Well, it’s true. On Saturday mornings, people in need of medical assistance in Shepherd Community Center’s neighborhood can come and get assistance from Grace’s health care ministry. While they’re waiting to be seen by our medical team, another group of Grace volunteers is in the kitchen serving up some delicious-pancake-goodness for breakfast.

The volunteers serving through Saturdays at Shepherd prepare and serve a nutritious breakfast to Shepherd’s neighbors in need of medical assistance. It really is a beautiful thing…friends, small groups, families, kids all serving together to bring the kingdom of God here. Today.

If this sounds like something you’d like to do, check out the registration page for Saturdays at Shepherd. If your serving plate is full, would you consider praying for Saturdays at Shepherd this week?

There’s definitely a buzz in the air since our ongoing serving opportunities are back in full swing. Join us in this Kingdom momentum if you haven’t already.

We on the Outreach and Leadership Development team at Grace are absolutely thrilled to see that service as a lifestyle is slowly seeping into the DNA of Grace attenders. Here’s an example of a small group at Grace who is serving on an ongoing basis and how it’s changing their lives…

Members of the Wrightstuff group serving people from Shepherd Community Center.

Does your small group have a nickname? Well this one does. They are called the Wrightstuff group. They group started serving at Shepherd for two reasons: they were looking for a way to serve regularly as whole group; and they wanted to serve at place a little more connected to Grace. They had been serving a meal once a month at the Ronald McDonald House inside of Riley Hospital. This was a nice way for the Wrightstuff group to serve together, but it only required about four people each time. The fellowship was good and the serving was decent, but they decided to see if they could take their serving to the next level.

The decision to serve together at Saturdays at Shepherd did indeed take them to the next level of service. The Wrightstuff group began serving breakfast at Shepherd once a month. Through serving together, different people were allowed to take lead roles. This brought humility and intimacy to the group that wouldn’t otherwise occur.

This group amped up the menu...they now serve breakfast burritos when it's their week to serve.

How has the group grown closer to God through serving? Well, they feel that their service to the least of these puts them in the very presence of God. From serving others together, they get a better idea of what God expects from them. It also gets them out of their comfort zones, which really stretches them. Accepting the challenge to make serving a lifestyle has brought the Wrightstuff group closer to each other and closer to God’s heart.

• When it comes to serving others, do you serve episodically or on a regular, ongoing basis?
• Do you serve only when everyone else is doing it or have you made serving a lifestyle?

Walter grew up in New Orleans, where he raised a family while working on the docks, loading and unloading ships as they came into port. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Walter’s home was completely destroyed. The government helped him move to Indianapolis, but he left behind a son in New Orleans and a daughter in Texas. Shortly after relocating, he got connected with Grace as part of our effort to reach out to the refugees. Walter was able to find transitional housing, and began looking for work. He was able to get a few temporary jobs, but despite diligent searching was unable to find a steady job.

In February, Walter’s housing aid ran out, and without a solid job, he found himself homeless. He made his way to Wheeler Men’s Mission, where he entered their residential program. A few days later, another volunteer and I made a run for the Wheeler Shuttle, where volunteers from Grace pick up men from Wheeler and bring them to Grace for a meal and a chance to attend Saturday night service. On the ride to Grace, Walter shared with us how thankful he was that the Lord had continued to provide for him in the midst of his circumstances. I couldn’t believe the conviction he had that God was truly in control and was working these events for good in his life. It was a great honor to worship with my brother in Christ that evening.

A few weeks later, we saw Walter at CHIP’s annual Indy Homeless Connect event. He was excited about the possibility of making some job connections. A week later, I ran into Walter again, but this time in a context I did not expect.

I arrived at Shepherd Community Center to serve at Saturdays at Shepherd, a weekly outreach opportunity where Grace volunteers make and serve breakfast to the community, while a group of doctors and nurses volunteer their time to host a free medical clinic. I knew several of the people who had signed up to volunteer that weekend, since they were all from the same Grace Group, but when I walked in, I was surprised to see Walter. I asked him if he’d heard about the medical clinic and come to check it out, but he said, “No, I’ve come to give something back.” He was not there to receive care, but to help us serve breakfast!

Walter serving breakfast with the team at Saturdays at Shepherd

I found out that he’d gotten connected with the small group while at Grace, and he’d kept in touch with them since then. When he found out they were serving at Shepherd, he decided to come because he knew that whatever his circumstances, Jesus calls him to a life of service. I was again humbled as I realized that although Walter has had so much taken from him, he still views giving of himself as central to his walk with Christ. We often reflect on how Matthew 25 talks about seeing Christ in those with great need, and I have little doubt that I was flipping pancakes beside Jesus that morning.

If you’d like more information about serving at Wheeler or Saturday’s at Shepherd, please visit our website.