Do good works...

I don't believe you get to heaven by doing good works, but I also don't believe we can know how to live on earth without them. God saves us by His grace and then calls us to work for His kingdom.

Soul Purpose is a brilliant, God given opportunity to put our faith into action. This afternoon I was out assessing some of the core projects and so this year we get to:

• Create a better garden for 2 year old Melissa who has Downs Syndrome, who feeds through a tube into a stomach and has to see a heart specialist regularly but who is a real bundle of mischief and joy
• Help an elderly couple (Mr & Mrs Glover) return their garden to the 'English country garden' you can see it used to be. Mr Glover is recovering from a stroke and Mrs Glover just can't manage the work
• Give Julie (in a wheelchair) a new looking hallway, full of light and freshly painted
• Help Tom, who has Parkinsons, and his wife Pam sort out their back yard and get rid of the stuff he can no longer use or lift
• Help Margaret, who suffers with arthritis, recover the jungle of her garden from the invading waist high army of nettles
• Help a small church redecorate their hall for the children and young people they serve
• Create afternoons of laughter and fun for families that need a bright spot in their bank holiday weekend
• Remove litter that degrades the community and insults the Creator
• Turn wilderness into places of beauty

That's not simply a great weekend, that's hope bringing, that's action that is filled with the potential of being eternally significant. That's a God glorifying mix of worship, prayer, mission and action that for a short while demonstrates the beauty and power and hope that is only found in the church. Can't wait, can you?