Serve
Serving @ Living Hope
This is the ultimate goal of any church and any Christian: to share the love and goodness of God with the people around them in practical ways. Everything else leads up to this. At Living Hope, we try as much as possible to serve as teams, and we have plenty to choose from. And new teams start as people see needs that grab their hearts!
Sunday mornings
A variety of teams serve every Sunday, as we invite friends and family to come experience the generous love of God. Hospitality teams help people feel welcome and provide food and drinks at the breakfast bar. Volunteers care for babies in the nursery and creatively teach kids in the Garage. Musicians and sound technicians help us feel the music and get the message. These teams help us serve our guests and each other… and they have fun doing it!
Out and about
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” So let’s get out of the saltshaker! We reach out to serve those around us in a variety of ways. Some are annual events, like the Baby Bottle Boomerang for the Women’s Center, or working with Rebuilding Together. Others are ongoing. Here are two or three that we know are happening…
Overnight Shelter for Women and Men
Every Sunday night, October 15 – April 15, we open our doors to provide hospitality for homeless women. (The other nights of the week are covered by other churches.) Caring volunteers provide dinner, a safe place to sleep, breakfast, and a sack lunch. If you want to help, you can now sign up online.
Once a month we partner with another church to provide the meals and cover half the shifts to provide similar hospitality for homeless men.
If you know someone who needs shelter, please visit ValpoShelter.org to find out more.
Whispering Pines Alzheimer’s Service
One Sunday a month, 1:30-2:00 pm, a team leads a worship service for the Alzheimer’s patients at Wispering Pines. They sing some old hymns, share a short message from the Bible, pray, and visit. These men and women can’t get out to a church service, so we help bring the church service to them.
Food Pantry
Every week, people attending Living Hope’s services are invited to drop off food that gets distributed to families in need at the Downtown Christian Food Pantry. And some of our folks (including our pastor) volunteer at the pantry, too.
Good Neighbor Offering
On the first Sunday of every month, we give a special offering for people in our community who are in financial distress. These funds are distributed by First Contact, a Christian Resource and Referral agency with offices in Valparaiso and Portage.
Interested?
If you would like to know more about how to get involved in one of these serving opportunities, please contact Rich Schmidt (email / staff page).