Deerfield UMC gets volunteers on MLK BD

    Early this morning, we received a call from ACT office at ASU. There was a group of about 20 ASU students looking for a place to serve in the community in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. I asked them to meet me at the church at 1:00 and we would see what kind of work they could do.  Some of our faithful church workers, Lawrence and Jeannie, Bobbi and JC, came over to help them get started. These kids came and worked in the kitchen in the fellowship hall, repacking items in plastic, washing pots and pans, all the glasses, drying them and putting all that back on the shelves. Another team worked in the pantry. Everything came out, was cleaned, sorted and put back in. Not only did the ASU kids come to help us, we had the chance to tell them about Deerfield, and invited them to come be apart of the work of Christ here in our community with us. Twenty one years ago today, I said yes to the call of ministry. I gave these kids my witness of how God has been faithful to provide faith and courage all these years and I have no regrets of giving my life's work for the cause of Christ. I also told them we as a church had been searching in very intentional ways to be in a sustainable ministry with ASU students for the long haul, and that they had come to serve us in our time of need moved several in the room to tears. From the students who have been worshiping with us regulary, we have now a new youth volunteer and we are going to try to meet with our youth this coming Sunday to get something going with them again, and now all this work today thanks to Emily Schrecker who was our ASU student contact to bring all this help on board today. Praise be to God, for taking the mess we are facing and day by day, bringing out the best in people. We have given the memory of MLK Jr. a good reflection today, and we have honored Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It's been a good day for our church family of sowing seeds and being really grateful for how God is meeting our needs as a church family daily.  As a church family, we are so grateful for the ASU connection that Rev. Toby Grady makes for the cause of Christ on a weekly basis to help students connect with Deerfield UMC. We are so overwhelmed with the goodness that surrounds us in the midst of hard times. For all the work being done to lift up the name of Christ through Deerfield UMC, we give the Lord the praise.