Each Sunday this year @ Grace we are putting out a challenge, a ‘stepping out’ if you will, kind of challenge.  Often sermons leave us thinking about our relationship to God and sometimes an action point that relates to those with whom we are closest.  These challenges are about ‘stepping out’ of our routines and comforts and stepping alongside those we see and don’t yet know. Here are the first three:

• Think of a way to show appreciation to someone who blessed you in 2012
• Meet a neighbor
• Serve someone anonymously

I know, seems simple. Lots of room to be creative, or not.

Here’s the point:  We want to take initial steps in knowing and serving one another and those who are all around us.  Some of the challenges will be pointed towards others in our fellowship, some towards neighbors we know, and those we’ve never met. Some will be pointed towards missionaries we support and the smiling face that gives us our receipt at the local store.  The reason is not to say that we have finally fulfilled the Great Commandment to “love one another”, but to move in that direction.

My hope is that as we take these weekly challenges we will see a change in our perspective of where we live and how we can serve those around us.

Come and join us.  The weekly challenges are put on our website each Monday for that week.  What could it look like to have 500+ people in our community acting on these challenges to love and to serve?