My family and I have been attending East Cooper since October of 2022, but we actually found the church through the 9Marks website before we moved! It's really important for us to be members of a faithful, New Testament church. I started serving in the Meal Ministry in April.

What led you to serve in this specific area?

I have a huge passion for the Meal Ministry. We see many examples in the Bible of believers coming together over a meal and how powerful that act of fellowship is within the body of Christ. With the birth of my two children, meals from church members meant so much. I love paying it forward in both the Meal Ministry and Kids Ministry.

What has the Lord taught you through serving the local church?

The Lord has taught me how important it is to serve in the love of Christ. AsJesus Himself said, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve," and the Bible is full of exhortations to serve one another. It's so important to plug into one body of Christ, and to care for one another in times of need. It should be the "norm" to know that your church body will be there for you, and I really enjoy being a part of that.

Why do you serve?

There is no such thing as a "lone-ranger" Christian. In the Bible, we see that God's plan for the Christian life is to live in community. In the New Testament alone, we find about 40 commands that contain the words "one-another:" love one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, and serve one another. Having a personal relationship with Jesus means that he individually saves and sanctifies me, but part of the way He makes that happen is in the community of the body of Christ. Through plugging into and serving the body of Christ, and pouring into relationships with fellow believers, God brings us together and transforms us into greater Christlikeness. The church is a place where we should use our gifts, skills, and resources to help each other and imitate Jesus. Christ desires that we become a community characterized by and known for his sacrificial love! It's important for me to serve for these reasons!