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!
Overnight Warming Center
This January and February, our building is open every night to make sure our neighbors can stay warm and alive. Last winter we saw over 70 individuals come through, with an average of 10-15 guests per night. We may see even more this winter. If you would like to learn more or help, follow the links at LivingHope.info/wc.
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 table. Volunteers care for babies in the nursery and creatively teach kids in the Elementary room. 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 walking for clean water in World Vision’s Global 6k for Water, or helping build a house with Porter County Habitat for Humanity. Others are ongoing, like…
Unity Cafe
For over a year now, we’ve hosted Unity Cafe on Friday nights from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. Led by Sam Burgett, the cafe provides a recovery group at 4:30 and a free meal at 5:30. Sam is always looking for volunteers to help provide and/or serve the meal, as well as help in other ways.
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 you can volunteer at the pantry, too!
Good Neighbor Offering
We encourage folks to give specifically for our neighbors who are in financial distress. These funds are distributed by First Contact, a Christian Resource and Referral agency with offices in Valparaiso, Portage, and Chesterton. And they’re looking for volunteers, too! You can contact them at 219-462-8332.
Nursing Home Services
For years, we’ve been doing monthly worship services at one of the area nursing homes for people who can’t make it out to church services. That nursing home recently closed, so we’re looking at options in other area facilities! In the meantime, we continue to lead a brief Bible study most Tuesdays at 2:00 at Brookdale Senior Living.
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).