My inner-city neighborhood is home to around 6,600 residents, nearly 25% of whom do not speak English as their primary language. Since English-language proficiency is a gateway to jobs and better education, some of my education major classmates and I decided to serve our neighbors through English tutoring. Each week, I coordinate nearly 70 university students, myself included, to teach English to area residents. We go to their apartment complexes for home tutoring or teach in a local community center. Volunteering to teach English is just part of it. The real reward comes from the formation of friendships that transcend cultural barriers. For months,… Read More
Loving Your Neighbor
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I was having a hard time deciding what I was going to do with my life. I prayed that God would use me as His vessel. I didn't hear anything from Him for a while. But in 2015, I was driving my car and saw an elderly man really struggling to cut his grass. So I got out of my car and helped him finish the yard. When I was driving away, I was amazed at how good that felt. And I truly believed God was speaking to me. So as I was finishing up my computer science degree, I would find widows, veterans, disabled or elderly people that… Read More
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I am from India, and came to America three years ago to work on my doctorate. When my wife and I arrived, we knew we needed to find a church, but we quickly realized that most churches in our town are not diverse at all. Once we settled on what has now become our church here, we spoke to our pastor about this. We know there are communities in our town of various ethnicities, where many of the people just recently came to America. Our pastor looked at us, and asked what we would like to do about it. This… Read More
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As a children's pastor, I've been blessed to have seen so many children come to Christ. There are few things more beautiful than seeing Jesus in a child's eyes. But the bulk of my ministry happens outside the church building. Several times a week, I find myself eating at a restaurant for one reason or another. As a Christian, I offer a prayer of thanksgiving over each meal. A number of years ago, I asked the Lord for more opportunities to share the gospel with people in my immediate area, particularly people who wouldn't normally be in church. The Lord challenged me… Read More
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It is not very often that one can drive down a street and see tangible results of their volunteer work. But this is a gift I receive by volunteering with Christmas In Action - Spartanburg, a small nonprofit that aids the elderly, disabled and veteran homeowners in our county with free home repairs. "Love your neighbor as yourself," (Matthew 22:39) is one of my favorite verses and words that I strive to live by each day. My husband and I were familiar with the great work of the Christmas in Action chapters around the country, and we started a Spartanburg chapter when we… Read More
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People often think about meeting others' needs when it comes to housing, food, and clothing. But, people tend to forget about other basic needs, such as the ability to do laundry. Coming from a social worker background, I spent time working with families in low income communities where I saw how people struggled to clean their clothes each week, or how many children who have aged out of foster care don't know how to wash clothes. So, when someone in my church's ladies group mentioned a laundry ministry in nearby Knoxville, I thought it was something I'd like to be involved… Read More