What Do We Want Our Congregation to Do?

1. Provide a regular place for brethren to learn, fellowship and serve one another on the holy assemblies commanded in Scripture:

   1. “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the LORD’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live. (Lev. 23:3 NLT-SE)

   2. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
      Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. (Heb. 10:24–27 NLT-SE)

2. Much could be done through social media and advertising to find people who are looking for an independent, non-denominational Sabbath meeting place in the Nashville area.

3. “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” (Prov. 16:3 ESV)

4. Our fellowship needs people to volunteer to help set up for our service at 9:30am Sabbath mornings. It would not need to be too often if we have enough to volunteers. See Melissa if you are interested.

5. Volunteer to serve others in need within existing programs:

   1. Woodmont Hills Church, who provides our building has a number of service projects we might be able to join:

      1. Build a Habitat for Humanity house each fall. Helpers must be age 16 & over.

      2. Help schools get supplies together.

      3. Help poor people in various ways.

   2. Joseph’s Storehouse in Lebanon distributes food to many people on Thursdays and Saturdays. ( https://www.loaejosephsstorehouse.org/ ) Their service team breakdown was sent in after the meeting:

      1. Sorting Team - sorting, bagging & boxing food for the giveaway  (usually women) prior to and during the distribution days

      2. Loading Team - loading the cars from wheelbarrows full of food (usually men)  on distribution days

      3. Traffic Team - directing traffic (cars & people) on distribution days

      4. Prayer Team - providing prayer, encouragement & spiritual counseling (some training required) primarily on distribution days, but this is sometimes needed through the week for the emergency situations when our regular staff is on vacation or during heavy volume times such as around the holidays or during community emergencies situations such as tornadoes, flood, etc.

      5. Registration Team - applicant registration and processing (usually women and requires training) on distribution days

      6. Office Team - general office assistance, such as filing, labeling the newsletters, etc. usually once per month, time to be announced

   3. There are other service opportunities which brethren mentioned briefly.

6. Establish our own mission to people in need with these principles:

   1. Giving money directly to poor people is rarely a good thing. Some will spend it well, but many will spend it on substance abuse or non-essential things.

   2. Directly paying an essential bill, or buying a thing a value that is really needed is better.

   3. The opposite of addiction is connection, not sobriety.

   4. Talking to people and caring about them is always of value-especially if an on-going relationship can be established.

   5. Handing out fruit or sandwiches helps the hungry and is not likely to be abused.

   6. Establishing a group to sing is appreciated at nursing homes or in some homeless situations.

7. Where could we find people to serve?

   1. The campground next to Southside Elementary school has many homeless people living in it.

   2. Other homeless communities

   3. Nursing homes

8. Whether we help in other’s projects or begin our own, we need a person to coordinate volunteer work that does not already have a major job in our congregation:

   1. Figure out who is able to do what kind of work when in the congregation.

   2. Find good service opportunities where our congregation can be effective.

   3. Give priority to service where we can meet the people and pray with them. appropriate work for the skills in coordinator for volunteer activities.

   4. Prioritize where our time and money should go: Our community vs the outside world. We may want community work days to serve people in our fellowship.

9. Monetary contributions are always appreciated.

   1. Individuals can split up tithes to fellowships, feasts, ministries, widows & orphans.

   2. In general, it is better for individuals to contribute to other ministries and causes rather than give to Grace and Truth Sabbath Fellowship and expect them to seek out and give to other organizations.

   3. Beit El in Zikron Yaccov, Israel, is supplying housing by people who were displaced by war. Money is used to take care orphans, widows and displaced people.

10. Provide a weekly evening Bible study to teach basic doctrines to new believers (Norman intended to mention this at the meeting, but forgot.)

In Messiah’s love,

-Norman Edwards