Every year, a church in Joplin hosts and organizes an event called Great Day of Service. It occurs on a Sunday morning and instead of attending church services that morning, the entire congregation goes out into different neighborhoods in Joplin and invests in various projects. These can range from mowing an elderly woman’s lawn, to painting a house. What started as just one church has now expanded to six churches in Joplin and is continuing to catch momentum.

This year, The Way Church got involved and joined the movement. We served at God’s Resort, an organization Next Step worked with this past summer. Hundreds of people were working at the transitional housing facility, mowing lawns, sweeping sidewalks, and painting doors and windows. From a three year old kid picking weeds to an 80 year old woman making hot dogs for the block party, everyone was working hard. Even the people who stay at God’s Resort were out, serving in their neighborhood. Through the work, there was an indescribable joy felt up and down each street.

Just like on a summer mission trip, though, it wasn’t about the work itself. It was about church congregations coming together instead of driving apart. It was about getting outside of the four walls of a church building and putting action to our faith. It was about loving God and, because of that love for God, loving our neighbors as ourselves.

People serving people. When communities can see the local church putting their feet on the ground and showing the love of Christ, it makes a difference. Neighborhoods were cleaned up, but more importantly, hearts had a chance to be cleaned up as well. Those serving got a chance to pray with people and ask God to radically transform our city. I have a sneaking feeling He is already transforming it. Now it’s up to us to get out of our boxes and see the work He is doing every single day here in Joplin.