From Compassion to Action
I look around our church and feel deeply grateful to belong to a congregation that loves so generously. Week after week, I witness people quietly showing up to serve meals, donate necessities, pray faithfully, and care for neighbors they may never have met before. It is a beautiful reflection of Christ’s call to love our neighbors.
This past season, our partnership with Family Promise of Spokane has been one of those reminders. Watching the incredible work they do to help families experiencing homelessness find stability and housing has been both humbling and inspiring. Recently, we were invited to host a worship night at the shelter, a meaningful reminder that when we consistently show up with love and service, deeper relationships begin to grow even to witness through worship.
Because of your generosity, kids have been supported, meals have been shared, and people have been reminded they are not alone. Thank you for being a church that cares so deeply about our community.
At the same time, our outreach efforts continue to grow, and we have recently seen volunteer numbers begin to dip. This is not meant to bring guilt, but rather an invitation. The needs around us are still very real, and the work cannot be carried by only a small handful of people.
One of the things I love most about our congregation is how proud we are of the work our church does in the community, and we should be. But being part of a church that serves faithfully also means stepping into that mission ourselves. The impact our church makes is only possible when ordinary people choose to say, “Yes, I can help.”
Serving does not always require large amounts of time or special abilities. Often it simply means a willingness to show up. There are opportunities for everyone: helping with Family Promise hosting events, community outreach events, meal preparation, item donations, setup or cleanup, or simply praying faithfully for the work being done.
Whether you have one hour a month to give, or this season of life allows you to give support through donations of supply needs, your involvement matters more than you know. I would also love to invite anyone interested to join our Love Thy Neighbor Committee, (a group that meets monthly to help plan, volunteer, and assess how we can meet the needs of many other community partners in Spokane St. Luke supports), as we continue finding ways to serve our community with compassion and purpose. A list of needs can be found in this Newsletter under the Love Thy Neighbor & Family Promise pages, and on the Info Tower in the Fellowship Hall.
Ministry happens when people move from appreciation to participation, and together, those small acts of faithfulness become something truly extraordinary. Thank you for continuing to be a church that shows up for our neighbors with open hands and open hearts.
Gratefully,
Stefanie Reinke
