We have a BIG GOD, so we love to SERVE BIG too! One fantastic way we live out our mission “to mobilize local churches to transform lives and communities, In the Name of Christ” is by organizing service projects for church groups. These “Serve Days” are great ways to bring your church family together to share the love of Jesus.

So far in 2024, we’ve organized Serve Days for Village Church of Gurnee youth group, Lakeland Church, Mission Lake County, Christ Community Church youth group, Joy! Lutheran, and CityLine (they drive up from Niles every year!). From delivering furniture to packing/delivering Household Starter Kits to organizing the warehouse, Love INC has roles for everyone. (Can you carry a pillow? We’ll put ya on a furniture delivery team!!)

Each team coordinates with our Program Manager, Amy Bothmann, to match ministry projects with the skills of that particular group. Our office and warehouse servants work hard to prep any items and paperwork to make the day of service run smoothly. And our church teams notice! One member of the Joy!Serve group noted, “Impressive set up at the warehouse! It was easy to collect the needed items and deliver them.”

The most fun for us is to hear the stories from the mission field, as the teams are bringing needed items into our neighbor’s homes:

“This was a wonderful and an eye-opening experience. We loved being able to provide some necessary items for someone who desperately needed them. James* was a very nice guy and he was very positive and seems to be working as hard as he can. It was humbling and a blessing to be able to bless him and help him to feel cared about. He is used to people abandoning him and this was a blessing to him.”

“We loved the interaction with the family; especially the kids. It was nice to help someone out and brighten their day. We loved being the reason someone smiled. The mom was so excited to get a “healthy cooking” cookbook. And the nine year old has been wanting to learn to make cookies; we had a cookie cookbook in their delivery too! When we were leaving, the three year old said ‘Love You!’”

These Service Days have so many benefits!! They are great opportunities for church families to be social and get to know each other better. They provide ways to bring Sunday’s message out into our weeks. They are ways The Church can spread hope to the hopeless in our community.

Have you been part of one of our Serve Days? Share your story! How did your time serving influence your faith? What surprised or excited you? What do you want your family and friends and our Love INC community to know about serving through Love INC? Email Laurie to help us tell the story of The Church at work in Lake County.

*Names changed for privacy