This past Sunday we canceled church services to go out into the community to be the church by doing ordinary acts of kindness. This was the final week of our series - Beyond Sunday. Church is more than a Sunday service. Church is people loving people. Church is people sharing God’s love with people.

We had a great turnout too! Our act of kindness was simple: give out Krispy Kreme doughnuts to people serving in the workplace on Sunday. We gave out free doughnuts to fire stations, a police station, a hospital, real estate offices, stores and more.

Many people in our church had never done anything like this. Their experiences were extremely positive! Everyone that we gave doughnuts was not only thankful but really surprised. Some even asked, “Why are you doing this?” The response that they heard was something to the effect … “We’re just sharing God’s love in a practical way.”

It was really something to experience such a favorable response and so many smiles too!

As a church, we want to be a community of people who continually go beyond the fours of a building and care for people in our neighborhoods in tangible ways. How can we make a difference in the lives of people living here in the upcounty area? How can we share the love of Christ with people in practical ways?

When it comes to reaching out to people in our community, we need to not only talk about it but demonstrate God’s unchanging love for all people. One way that we can do that is to serve people in practical ways and let people know that God loves them.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Doing ordinary acts of kindness is a practical way of doing that.

1. Start by asking God to sensitize your heart toward your neighbors and people. (to notice them, be aware of them).

2. Practice the “free attention giveaway.” Be unusually interested in someone. Focus on them and their story … or what’s going on with them. … little things … or simple things to say, do for them … don’t force … don’t preach … show interest … People naturally respond if genuinely, authentically interested in them.

People crave being noticed. Yet it’s the one thing most of us don’t get enough of.

3. Pray for people.

4. Get to know your neighbors by doing simple things for them. Dinner … cookies … holidays … simple service projects.

5. Practice being an active listener and learner of people.

6. Let people see and experience your heart not just your words. People won’t hear what you have to say until they kow that you genuinely care about them. Someone once said … “Let’s go out into our community and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people and use words only when necessary …” Actions need to precede words …

7. Be ready to get a little deeper spiritually with people – at the right time. Spiritual curiosity is at its peak in our culture. We just need to engage people. The gospel of Christ is good news for everyone because it gives us hope for life now, not just an afterlife (John 10:10).

Starting with doing small things like acts of kindness is way to just let people know that God loves them.

When you build a house, you have to start with the building a foundation that’s solid. As a church community, our foundation is UPREACH or our connection with God. Once you have a solid foundation, you can begin to build the house. The Bible says that God dwells in the lives of His followers. Once we begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Bible says that Christ dwells in us (Colossians 1:27). That’s called the church. And as the church, God wants us to care for each other, to serve each other and love each other. That’s inreach.

Imagine something with me … think about how different your life would be if you realized that God was with you no matter where you went and what you did? Imagine how differently you would respond to difficulties, temptations, and even good things – if you knew with certainty that God was in all of it — and that he was working everything in your life for your own eventual good and for his own glory. In other words, imagine not only being in a relationship with God — but imagine being in a dynamic, intimate connection with God — every moment of every day. Imagine living out an active, death-defying, out of the box kind of faith connection with God every day of your life? Maybe you’re thinking – I would love that … but … that’s just pie in the sky — that could never happen … Is it really a crazy, way out concept?

No — you know why? Because God has connected with us …

As a church community, what is it that really hope to do? What’s our role as a church? We want to help people live in the story of God — that’s happening all around us. We want to help people discover their place in that story and begin to live it out in God’s original created order: the family, the workplace, the community and the world. As followers of Christ, we have to the incredible privilege and honor and joy - to partner with God and join Him in His work in this world.