Why We Do, What We Do

By Cal Cook

It’s hard to believe it’s almost September again! Fall is my favorite season but as fast as time is going by these days it will be gone before we know it. We’ve already had opportunities to serve with BergServ this last Saturday, August 27^th as we hosted 19 Heidelberg Freshmen for a time of fellowship and serving our community. Check out our website photo album at www.BUMChruch.com for pictures. I hope to have them out again with even more from BUM joining in to reach our community with the love of Christ.

In a few short weeks we’ll kick off our fall season at BUM with a bit of a festival September 11^th. We’ll supply the main course and desert, you just bring yourselves and if you’re able a side dish to share. We’ll be starting a three week sermon series using Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace as a reference. In the current economic situation we find ourselves in the U.S.A. we need to search the scriptures for the biblical principles God has given us for handling our finances. Just to help everyone be more comfortable, we will not take up an offering during this series, making the point that this is between you and God…so feel free to invite friends and family knowing there is no pressure to give to the church.

There will be other opportunities to serve during September as I am taking part in a Ministry called Kairos. There is a link on our website to Kairos under our Discipleship tab. Kairos is a prison ministry that I have served on in the past, where we go to men serving time and share the love of Christ with them. Kairos has seen an amazing impact in prisons by dropping recidivism rates dramatically. Men and women who go through Kairos are substantially less likely to return to prison…and to make the point one of the men now going back to the Toledo Correctional Institution as a team member, was a resident there when I first went there in 2004! You have several ways you can take part in this ministry. First you can pray! Secondly there are many forms of agape (God’s Love) that you can share with the men such as placemats, posters and cookies. Cookies are one of the main visible signs of love that we share with all of the men in the institution. Currently there are 1500 men there and we will share homemade cookies with each of them and most importantly each of these cookies will be prayed over! I am responsible for bringing 200 dozen cookies…so I NEED YOUR HELP! I’ll be providing more details in the weeks to come.

Now some of you might be thinking why go to people in prison, why go clean up people’s yards, why invite people to a party and given them food? Well as I said this Sunday it’s all about love. One of my favorite verses from the Bible is actually used as a part of Kairos…

Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

This is the nice part of the passage…read the rest for yourself and ask…which one am I?

Pastor Cal