21 Jul Humility of Christ: SummerLINK Boston
We’ve been volunteering our time at several different locations, including the Boys and Girls Club, a low income community at Willis Ave, Soccer Nights last week, and lots of other planning of events! At the end of each day we come home exhausted but well worth our time and effort. One of the first things we started when we arrived in Boston was the Boys and Girls club. We got there the first day with around 10-15 kids but were promised that the next time there would be more. They weren’t kidding as every time since then has been 40+. We have a blast every time we go and enjoy playing sports with the kids, arts and crafts, cooking, board games, and plenty of screaming to go around, sometimes a little more than our ears can handle though.
We have also been volunteering at a place we call Willis Ave. It’s a low income community with a small community center where some of the kids like to hang out. The only complaint we have had is the heat as the kids love to play outside. They enjoy having visitors come and play with them and get attached very quickly. We play board games with them and play some sports and other games outside. We have also started a Bible Story time with them, starting with creation and through some of the Old Testament stories and hope to get through Jesus Christ and his life and death. It’s always hard to leave the kids there because they get so attached, emotionally and literally.
The church plant here in Medford, Redemption Hill, has been an incredible encouragement to me. Most of the local businesses know of the church and know the pastors by name. They have done a fantastic job with outreach and evangelizing. Tanner and Jon, the two pastors, are very encouraging to our team and help us out as we plan different events throughout this summer. This past Sunday they had a few new members join their church. As a part of this process, they had them sign a covenant affirming the church’s beliefs and such. What I liked in particular though was that as they became new members, they also commissioned them essentially as missionaries to the city. Being a part of Redemption Hill church and also the Church as the Body of Christ, to them, includes and requires evangelizing. This is just a testament of their passion and their desire to serve God.
I have been going through Philippians with our leader during the trip and it’s been convicting and uplifting. One thing me and Chad keep pointing back to is that Christ and his mission is always on the forefront of his mind. He is in jail while writing his letter and yet he rejoices because he is able to expand the Kingdom because of it. Paul tells the church to be humble because Christ was humble. He tells the church think and act in unity because Christ alone is their salvation. If he dies, he will see Christ. If he lives, he’s at work spreading the gospel. Paul lives and breaths the mission of Christ. If only I could have this mindset. I listened to a sermon from my pastor back home a few days ago and was severely convicted at my lack of intentionality. Now I pray that my mindset is to always be looking for a way to communicate Christ. My pastor brought out two quotes from Spurgeon: (my paraphrasing) “Don’t let anyone go to hell unwarned or unprayed for,” and the second “If they go to hell, let it be leaping over our dead bodies.” I earnestly want this physical, emotional, and spiritual drive to spread the Gospel. One thing I pray for myself, that I don’t allow myself to think that the words I say will bring someone to salvation, but only the work of Christ on the cross.
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason, also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11
Things to Pray for:
- The events we are planning – Community Fun Night, Serve Medford, 3v3 Basketball tournament
- Unity as a team, patience with each other (been great so far)
- That we would be bold in proclaiming Christ
Aaron Rice
Summer LINK Boston